The Missing
by Sandfire Kat
Summary: How far would you go to save the person most close to you? An old villain is trying to gather back his strength, and to do that, he needs strong belief. That of which is found in Jack's closest friend Jamie. With Jamie in mortal danger, Jack must decide which is less dangerous to put at risk. Jamie's safety, or the structure of the Guardians. And one wrong move could mean the end.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: First of all, thank you for reading this. Summaries are a B to write. Like…seriously. I hate them. With a passion. Second of all, I've really wanted to do a Rise of the Guardians fanfic lately, and hopefully I'll do this one justice. I hope that you enjoy this first chapter, and I hope it really catches your attention! ^^

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It was a Monday. The familiar tension that was accustomed to the day of the week hung heavily in the air. Nobody liked Mondays; when you had school on them, it made it even worse. You could literally feel the tension in the air, the tiredness that dragged the student's feet through the hall with a lagging gait. The whole picture was depressing, school was the bane of every kids' existence. A snow day would have been much more preferred here, that much was certain. But the kids in High School were starting their Finals. Last time there had been a snow day during Finals Week, there were a lot of infuriated teenagers storming the Town of Burgess.

It wasn't as fun, but it was saving a lot of hatred and frustration.

The children in school were itching to race out the doors and into the snow. If you walked down the hall, you were able to feel a million eyes switch over to you. Anything to focus on, the kids would take it. Nearly every person in school was looking at the clock, waiting with bated breath for the little hand to reach the four. School was long in general, but it was even longer on a Monday. There was a cadence of fidgeting in seats and clacking of pencils, the music of impatience and boredom.

All in all, it _was_ pretty boring.

Jack Frost had finished doing his sweep through the town, his millionth one today, it seemed. School days were so boring. The only kids that weren't in school were sick, there wasn't anyone outside enjoying the snow he'd left last night. The deadline of school was coming up, though. Winter break was less than three days away, not counting today. Kids got released for Christmas on Wednesday, it was only a few more days. But it might as well have been a year, for the way it dragged by.

He was currently breezing through the halls, trying to look for something to do. He didn't have to be anywhere as of right now, he had a lot of time to fill. But so far, he wasn't sure at all if there was anything to fill it _with._ The only thing around so far was the stray kid, running an errand for the teacher or coming back from the bathroom. But every kid that went by stared right through him, not even glancing his way as they went their own. Jamie's friends might believe in him now, but apparently that didn't go the same way with every kid in town.

Jack was just debating whether or not to go up into said kid's classroom, when he got sidetracked. Plodding his way through the halls and observing what there _was _to observe, Jack was stopped immediately by loud shouts and yells reaching his ears. Turning with an odd look, he craned his neck, veering off-course and looking into the window of the Library. The spacious room was filled with shelves of books, which were now almost completely bare. All the books were strewn across the floor in a mismatched chaos of well-known bestsellers.

A crooked smile worked its way onto Jack's face, and he slipped inside the room, immediately having to swerve to avoid a flying Webster Dictionary that smacked against the wall an inch from where he had been standing. The boy blinked rapidly, straightening as he rubbed the back of his neck. The scene was like something out of a movie. The kids had set up two forts opposite of each other, stacked out of books. They tossed paperbacks to and fro, apparently the throwing of the Webster Dictionary had been illegal. The kids that were on the side of the Library where the book had been thrown were on their feet, pointing accusingly at the other team, shouting the word 'Foul' over and over like it was basketball. Jack figured for a moment that none of the kids had noticed his appearance.

But then Cupcake stood from the cover of the fort, eyes lighting up as she looked at Jack. She waved eagerly to the Guardian, who returned the gesture with a lopsided grin. He wasn't all that used to the kids -small as the group was, of course- actually seeing him. For a long time, he had debated doing what all the other Guardians had done, and just not shown himself to them. But he couldn't hide in his hometown. The kids that were able to see him -slowly spreading in the number thanks to Jamie and his friends- usually saw him all the time when there was snow to fall on the ground. And he wouldn't really have had it another way.

He started forward, maybe to ask Cupcake how this all started, when he got cut off. A book whizzed out of nowhere, smacking Cupcake right in the face and making her fall to the ground with a smack. Jack grimaced, rushing forward and offering his hand down to help her up. The title of the thrown book caught his eye, the teenager narrowing his azure eyes as he tilted his head to the side. It was Lord of the Flies.

Suddenly Jack had a good idea as to where this all started.

He turned, looking oddly over at the librarian, who was seated neatly over in the Reference Desk. She had a book propped open in front of her, ignoring the kids that were killing each other as her eyes roved across the page fixedly. It was like she had given up on trying to corral the kids together, obviously forcing herself not to look up from the book. Jack continued to look around, but there were no other adults. He guessed that if there were more, this whole two-tribes-at-war thing wouldn't be happening. At least he hoped it wouldn't.

Turning, he leaned down to help get Cupcake back to her feet. But the girl was already up and running. She hefted up the Webster Dictionary, turning around and chucking it as far as she could. The boy who'd thrown Lord of the Flies started, the book making for him with speed probably a lot greater than it should have in the first place. He stumbled backwards, rocketing to his feet and started to run away from the incoming book. And he did dodge it. The book fell to the ground with a huge thump, but it didn't take off any heads. The boy turned his head back to look, still running, and smiled at his good thinking. But then he smacked into the wall, grunting a moment before falling back over onto the ground.

Jake hissed under his breath slowly, looking around at the chaos that used to be the Library. Obviously he was the only one who saw something wrong with this situation. He considered breaking it all up, which later he figured would have been impossible considering that there was only one person here would could see him. But then he looked over to the clock, judging the time left that school had before it was released. It was only ten minutes left. He assessed his surroundings a moment more before shrugging. Might as well let them finish…whatever it was they were doing. Tooth would want something to do tonight anyway. A few extra teeth wouldn't be too much on her case.

But he _was _going to have to confiscate this Dictionary.

Leaning down, he put his hand on Cupcake's shoulder, pulling her closer and nodding over to the thick book that was now discarded on the ground. "Hey, put that back, would you?" He asked, glancing at the clock as he spoke. "The Tooth Fairy will be busy enough." Cupcake gave a little shiver at his cold touch, but she gave a small nod and a smile, dashing after the book and into the thick of things. Jack watched her go with a small frown on his face, watching as she got smacked with Charlotte's Web, The Lightening Thief, and a stray Junie B. Jones. But apparently she didn't mind, she just turned right back around and hopped back the way she had come.

Reluctantly, Jack turned, going back and slipping out of the Library. Cupcake called out a quick goodbye as Jack closed the door behind him. When that teacher came back, he or she was going to be walking right into a big surprise. That or they would just show as much acknowledgement as the Librarian. Casting a glance once more at the clock, Jack Frost turned, craning his neck so that he could see down the hall. He had enough time. After all, there wasn't much else to do other than go back into the battlefield in which World War Three was currently being held.

Heading down the hall, Jack stuffed his hands into the pockets of his hoodie, moving his staff so that it was cradled into his elbow. He started down the hall, hoping that he was going in the right direction.

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He slipped neatly into the classroom, shutting the door with little to no noise at all. A few kids looked up from their tests, eyeing the door oddly a moment before looking back down at their papers. This room was entirely different from the library. It was silent. And when Jack said silent, he meant DEAD silent. If somebody dropped a pencil in this room, it would be the equivalent of a nuclear bomb just exploding on impact. The only noise at all was the scratching of pencils, and maybe an occasional sigh from the kid in the corner that had absolutely no idea what he was doing.

Test Day.

Not a Final…but just as dull.

Jack's eyes immediately started to shift through the desks, searching the faces of all the kids until he finally got to the one he was looking for. And good thing too, he was just starting to wonder if he got the wrong room or not. Jamie sat in the third desk in the last row, hunched over his paper as he glared down at his desk sourly. Nothing made a Monday better like tests did. Frowning slightly, Jack looked over to the teacher, who sat near the front of the room. He was typing out documents on his computer, fingers dancing over the keyboard faster than Jack could even try and comprehend.

Suddenly there was a small gasp, the teacher straightening at the noise. He looked over towards the direction it had come from, pausing a moment or two before returning to his work. Jack turned, smiling crookedly at Jamie's surprised expression. Obviously he hadn't expected to catch sight of him until school ended. After all, Jack rarely ever came into the school. Nothing interesting really went on around here. At least in all the rooms but the library, he supposed.

Jamie looked like he was about to say something -which wouldn't have been a good idea in the first place- but then cut himself off, snapping his mouth shut as it twisted into a frown. The girl next to him leaned over a little to the side, brown eyes straying over and looking down towards his paper. She was trying to be subtle about it, but it was obvious that she was trying to see if he had any of the answers she didn't already have. The boy threw a glare over at the girl, smacking his hands down over his test and doing his best to cover up his answers. But she managed to scribble down a few words that she'd gotten from him. Jack soured at this, putting his hands on his hips.

The girl glanced over Jaime's test, finishing her own test and dropping her pencil down onto her desk with a noisy clatter. She sat back in her chair, smiling brightly to herself, as if satisfied. Jamie flashed a look over at Jack, getting over the fact that he had been cheated at once as he looked at his friend. He smiled largely at him, showing off the tooth that had grown in the place of the one he had lost long ago. Jack smiled at the memory, but the grin faded at once as he looked over at the girl again. It hardly seemed fair that she was able to do that.

Just then, the bell rang over the intercom, signaling the end of school. Immediately, the kids sprang to their feet, eyes shining as they started to gather up their things. Backpacks were slung rapidly over kids' shoulders, and talking erupted at once like a volcano as children rushed to their friends. The teacher cleared his throat, standing up and catching all the students' attentions. "Ahem!" He called out, the talking tapering off as all eyes turned to him. "If you'll all just stack your tests here, you all can be free to go." He paused a moment before adding: "And if you have any questions about the test, you can come up and talk to me."

The kids made quick business of handing in their sheets, turning and running out the door, right through Jack. The Guardian stiffened as he was raced through, turning and side-stepping away from the large mass of students. Jamie was heading towards him, waving eagerly with a grin on his face. But for once, Jack wasn't paying attention to him. He looked over at the girl that had been sitting beside Jamie. She was taking her time, picking up her book bag and putting in her school supplies neatly and orderly. Her test was discarded on the desk. She had yet to turn it in.

Jack's eyes narrowed as he grinned.

Jamie came to a stop beside him, blinking rapidly as he looked from the Guardian to the girl. "What?" He asked, lost.

"Did she copy off of you?" Jack asked, tilting his head to the side as he surveyed the girl. She was almost done packing.

"Well…I guess." Jamie said, shrugging it off. "But it doesn't really matter. It was just one thing. We have to go, Sophie waits for me outside her classroom every day." He looked over at the clock, a little anxious. He turned to go, but Jack reached over, grabbing his wrist. Jamie gave a small jump at the cold touch, but turned, twisting his head around to look back at him. "What?" He asked, smiling again now. He could never help smiling when Jack was around.

"I'm not letting her get away with that." Jack said, tightening his hold on his wooden staff. "Watch this." Jamie looked a little nervous by now, but he didn't say anything as Jack raised his staff, taking aim easily. With years of experience, he took aim and fired. Immediately, the paper on the girl's desk became stiff, frost wrapping tightly around the sheet and freezing it instantly. Before the girl even had time to turn back around to look at it, Jack sucked in a breath, blowing out a sharp huff of air. The test skidded across the desk, teetering on the edge a heartbeat, before dropping to the ground with a sharp snap.

Both the teacher and the girl jumped, eyes widening with confusion at the now-shattered ice that had once been a test. Jamie's eyes widened, a huge smile spreading across his face before he remembered himself, clapping his hand over his mouth to try and stifle his laughter. Jack laughed aloud, blue eyes shimmering with amusement at the look on the girl's face. "Okay, okay!" He laughed, turning and grabbing Jamie's hand. "Let's go! Hurry!" He rushed out the door, racing through the hall with the boy in tow.

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They were still laughing by the time they got to Sophie's classroom. It was down by the front of the school, just like all the younger classes were held. The little girl was sitting cross-legged on the ground, playing with her stuffed animal as she waited. She was in the middle of making her unicorn do a barrel-roll, when Jack and Jamie came down the hall, heading her way. The girl perked at the sight of her brother, but lit up like a Christmas tree when she saw Jack. She stumbled clumsily to her feet at once, rushing forward as fast as her legs could carry her as she slammed into the teenager. She wrapped her hands tightly around him despite the cold, squeezing him as hard as she could as she jumped up and down eagerly.

Sophie _loved _Jack Frost. But that was almost an understatement. Whenever he was around, she was ecstatic. He was her favorite person in the world besides her brother. Once before, Jack would have killed to have a single child even glance in his direction. And now he had two kids that he counted as his closest friends other than the other Guardians. He grinned, leaning down and prying her off of him as gently as he could. She was stronger than he gave her credit for.

"Hey, Squirt." He said, eyes softening as he tilted his head to the side. "How was school?"

"Good! Great! Fantastic!" She did a neat little twirl, her unkempt hair flying around her as she spun. She lost grip on her unicorn, the animal flying out of her hands. Jamie leaned over, catching the toy expertly before it could reach the ground. Jack laughed, reaching over and grabbing the little girl by the shoulders, steadying her. She giggled, head spinning as she continued to jump up and down a little bit. Finally, she came to a stop. But her eyes were still shining with happiness. "Did you make it snow?" She demanded excitedly.

Jack drew his hands back, smirking. He didn't want to make her too cold. "Yup! Sure did. Not enough to cancel school. But I think there's a certain little pond just begging to be skated on!" Sophie gasped at this, becoming even more excited if it were possible. She clapped her hands together rapidly, turning around and beaming over at her older brother. "Can we go, Jamie?" She pleaded, turning in a small twirl once again. "Can we, can we, _can we?" _

Jamie looked just as excited. He turned over to Jack, eyes bright. "Yeah, if mom says we can!" He said. "We just have to get our skates!"

It probably took a total of twenty minutes for them to go to their house, get their coats and things together, and then to go into the forest. The forest was always something that Jack took pride in when he made it snow. He'd make sure to leave just the right amount of ice on the trees so that it caught the sunlight just right, he made sure that the snow was soft and powdery, except for on the hills of course. The snow that got put there was perfect sledding snow. The forest was exactly what would come to mind when one thought of a 'Winter Wonderland.' Which was good, it took enough time for Jack to get it this way. It deserved to be appreciated.

They walked through the forest, Sophie and Jamie making them all stop every one and awhile to stop and admire the scenery. When they were almost there, Sophie had veered off to the right, Jack stopping short and looking after her quickly. But the girl had only dashed off to one of the trees, looking up with wide eyes at an unusually thick icicle that was making the tree branch droop. The girl got onto her toes, sticking out her tongue and leaning forward. Jamie blinked, looking over at Jack with a look of amusement. Frost winced, starting forward. "Sophie, I wouldn't…"

But the girl already did. And there was no reversing it. Her tongue stuck to the shard of ice like glue, the girl's eyes rounding as she tried to tug it away. Her eyes flashed over to Jamie and Jack, both of which were fighting back twin smiles. She flapped her arms up and down at her sides like she was trying to fly, stamping her feet on the ground in time with her arms. She started to let out muffled yells, trying to tug her way free from the sticky substance. "Calm down, calm down!" Jack snorted, pushing off the ground and hovering over to her quickly. He surveyed the situation for a moment, eyes glimmering with amusement. But then he shook himself, leaning over and putting his hands on his knees. "All you gotta do is blow warm air on it. You'll be out quicker than you think!"

Jamie hopped over, dumping their skates down into the snow as he headed over. He stopped beside his sister, giving a small giggle as he saw the state she was in. "You're acting like this hasn't happened before!" He laughed to her, the blonde only shooting him a look of irritation. A mood of which wasn't all that familiar with her. But she did let out a sort of resigned sigh, letting her arms smack back to her sides as she stopped stomping on the snow. Letting out rapid huffs of air, she did her best to melt the ice that had frozen her into place. She repeated this process for a while, becoming more and more frustrated when nothing happened.

Finally, Jamie wove around her, leaning over and wrapping his hands gently around her waist. He tugged backwards, tearing her away from the icicle and causing them both to smack back into the snow. Sophie sat up at once, licking the air experimentally, as if to make sure she still had full use of her tongue. The two siblings looked at one another before exploding into a fit of giggles, faces breaking into twin grins. Jack huffed out a laugh, leaping into the air for the second time. Swooping down, he grabbed Sophie under her arms, shooting into the air and doing three flips in the air, making sure that he had a tight hold on the little girl.

She shrieked, holding tighter to him as they gained height. Frost skidded to a stop upside-down halt, Sophie's hair getting into his face as he spat it out quickly. Craning his neck so that he could see down to the ground, he smirked. "Bet you can't beat us to the pond!" He called out a challenge, eyes glinting as he shouted down at Jamie. At once, Jamie turned, rushing over and gathering the skates up in his arms. "That's not fair!" The boy called, laughing. "You'll win! You always do!"

Jack snorted, twisting around quickly so that he and Sophie were upright. The girl giggled at this, waving down her brother like she was a princess in a parade float. "Maybe you'll beat me this time!" Jack replied. "On three! Ready?" Jamie grinned, bunching himself up as he readied himself to take off. Jack laughed under his breath before going on. "One…THREE!" He spun around, shooting off as soon as the words left his mouth. Sophie shrieked, tightening her hold on Jack as she turned, burying her face into his navy hoodie. Jamie jumped, hesitating a moment before taking off after him.

"Hey, you cheated!" The boy yelled up to him.

"I dunno what you're talking about!" Jack yelled back. He made it to the pond in a matter of minutes, quickly changing course so that he landed on the grass and not the ice. Jamie was a heartbeat behind, panting for air as he skidded to a stop beside the Guardian. Jack made to say something, but Sophie shook herself out of the boy's arms, hitting the ground running as she took her skates from Jamie.

"Skating time! Skating time!" She said excitedly, hopping her way over to the pond.

"Hey- whoa!" Jack shot forward, catching her right as she was about to jump onto the frozen surface. "Hey, hold on there, Squirt." He said, pushing her back gently until she was a few feet away from the ice. He looked back at the pond, slightly more worried than usual. But when he looked back, the expression melted quickly, changing back to his usual grin. "I have to check it before you go on!" He said, going over and stepping out onto the water. He skated across it, doing laps across it as he tried to listen for crack or splinters. "You don't want the ice cracking underneath you, do you?" He asked, glancing over them as he asked. Jamie had crouched down beside Sophie, lacing her skates up for her, as she couldn't do it yet. The blonde shook her head back and forth, very serious. But then her façade broke, she giggled her way out of her serious demeanor, unable to go a moment before laughing.

Jack came to a stop in the center of the pond, looking it over once more before giving a nod. "That's good." He mumbled, almost to himself. Raising his voice, he looked over at the two siblings, beckoning them out. "Alright!" He called. "Come on in, the ice is fine!" Jamie was in the middle of lacing his last skate onto himself, Sophie pushing herself up to her feet, wobbling unsteadily on her skates as she tried to regain her balance. When she did just that, she grinned eagerly, edging forward carefully until she was on the ice. She wobbled a little bit, but Jack knew that he didn't need to help her. The girl beamed as she righted herself, looking very proud. She started shuffling forward, not at all as confident on the ice as Jack seemed to be.

She started to pick up her pace until she was going a good speed, skates sliding across the surface of the pond easily. Jack had to hand it to her; she was little, but she was a really good skater. Better than most kids her age. Jamie hobbled his way forward on his skates until he too was on the ice. He darted forward, rushing over and circling a little clumsily around Jack. "We should have a snowball fight while we skate! That'd be so awesome!" He yelled, slipping a little as he grabbed onto Jack, trying to steady himself.

Jack hummed a moment, smiling. "A snowball fight?" He mused, taking his staff and tapping the pond's surface, new frost spreading like a cobweb across it. "You can barely skate as it is!" He teased, sticking his tongue out at the boy. Jamie gave a lopsided grin at this, a cross between defiance and amusement.

"Uh-uh!" He objected, turning and doing an actually well-preformed twirl as if to show off his skills. "I bet I can beat you in a skating race!" He declared, brown eyes flashing.

Jack leaned back, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, really?" He mused.

"Yeah!" Jamie said eagerly, pointing from one end of the pond to the other. "We go from there to there! I can beat you with my eyes closed!"

"Well, then, maybe we'll just have to-"

Suddenly, Sophie let out a sharp yell, catching Jack's attention at once. Both him and Jamie turned, eyes wide at the sudden call. The girl seemed to be caught off-guard, feet skidding out from under her as she flew off her course. She was heading right for the edge of the ice, right for a tree. Jack made a move to shoot forward, but Jamie was surprisingly faster than him. The boy took off on his skates, going after his sister as he called out sharply. "Sophie, stop!" He yelled, getting closer to his sister. He made grabs for her coat, trying to stop her. "Just…angle your skates a little to the right!"

"Which way is right!?" She screamed.

She finally skidded a little too much. Her feet shot forward, ahead of her body. She fell backwards, Jack gasping sharply. She was going to smack her head right back into the ice. He shot forward, blue eyes wide as he tried to swallow the fear that was bubbling in his throat. He abandoned his staff back where he was before, using both his hands to reach out in an attempt to catch her somehow. Jamie leaned to the side, grabbing his sister tightly as he tried to take the fall for her. Jack got there just in time, breathing out a sigh of relief as he grabbed them both at the last minute. For a heartbeat, they stayed like that. Jamie clinging to Sophie, being propped up by Jack at the same time.

Then Jamie pushed himself up, giving a sigh as he shook his head. "You okay?" He asked, looking at Sophie with concern. The girl nodded, subdued for once. Jack made sure that they both wouldn't fall before going back to standing. Sophie's face was flushed, the girl's lower lip trembling as she wrung her hands together in front of her. Jack sensed her dynamic change in mood, sucking in a deep breath to chase away the lingering sense of fear choking in his throat. That was close.

"C'mon." He said brightly, lighting up at once. "Jamie, I believe you promised me a race?" The boy turned, looking surprised. Like he had forgotten. Jack leaned down, putting a hand on Sophie's shoulder as he offered her a small smile. "Sophie, can you be our referee?" That way she wouldn't have to skate if she didn't want to. The blonde considered a moment, before nodding, still looking a little sullen. But she straightened a little bit, hands clasping together as she looked at her brother.

Jamie flashed Jack a grateful smile, turning and heading over to the spot that he had instructed as the starting line. But then he stopped, turning around and reaching over, taking Sophie's hand in his own. "C'mon, you gotta come to the start too." Jack watched, a soft smile working its way on his face. Sophie hesitated a moment, looking down at her skates as if she expected them to grow wings. But then she looked back up and smiled, starting to skate once more, holding onto her brother as she went. Jamie reached over, taking Jack's hand as well, and they all started going back to the other side of the pond.

Jack allowed himself to breathe a small sigh of relief. At least this time nothing happened. At least this time it wasn't nearly as serious. He looked over towards Jamie and Sophie, hand-in-hand. He gave another smile. The siblings were easily the two people he was closest to. He was probably even closer to them than he was the Guardians. He was with them all the time, and he wouldn't trade the time spent with them for anything. Even when it wasn't winter, he made a point to breeze by, looking through their windows just to make sure that they were okay, that they were safe.

After all, he was Guardian now. He was supposed to ensure the safety of all children. Even if he did it more so with them, he was doing his job.

And he loved his job.

Just like he loved them.

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A/N: This chapter was more of an introduction than anything. Of course. It's the first chapter lol.

But I hoped you like it anyway! Please review, I'd LOVE to hear your feedback on it so far! A lot of reviews equals a much faster update! ^^

This story has a lot in store for it, so just strap in your seat belt and hang tight~!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Wow! Thank you for all the reviews and favorites I got from the first chapter!

SO much more than I was hoping for~! Thank you all~! ^^

Scary Story is not mine. I heard it when I was younger, and yes. It did scare me :P ( I think it's from Scary Story Treasury or something like that). But I also wanted to say that this story takes place about a year after the movie. Hence the way that the snow is back in Burgess~! So everyone (despite the Guardians, of course) is a little bit older ;)

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The fire gave off an aura of warmth, lighting up the woods around it with a flickering of orange and yellow light. It snapped and crackled, filling up the silence of the moment. Jack smirked where he sat on the snow, blue eyes glinting with humor as he gave his lopsided grin. Jamie and Sophie sat opposite of him on a discarded log, their attention fixed firmly on to the Guardian. Sophie's eyes were wide with fright, a hand covering her mouth with surprise and shock. Jamie looked the opposite, as if he were trying to stifle a bout of laughter bubbling in his throat.

"The man knew that he had to find out what had made the noise." Jack went on, leaning forward as his words got quieter and quieter for dramatic effect. "So he took off his shoes, trying to be as quiet as he could. He went up the stairs, one…by…one." Sophie gasped sharply, eyes at least ten times larger than the moon. Jamie gave a silent laugh, shoulders shaking as he leaned back more comfortably on the log. Jack shot him an amused look, but turned his attention back onto Sophie, who was jumping up and down in her seat by now. "He slowly opened the door to the attic…_creeeaaaaakkkkk_!" Sophie shivered as Jack made the noise through clenched teeth. He had to pause a moment before he was able to stop laughing and move on. "When the door opened, he looked around the dark…dark attic. He took a deep breath…hearing the noise again. He braced himself…started inside…and…

"AHHHH!" Jack screamed, getting to his feet and waving his arms high in the air. Jamie actually jumped at this, nearly falling off from the log as he caught himself at the last moment. Sophie screamed, flailing awkwardly a moment before slipping off from her perch, falling backwards with a plop into the snow. Jack made a move to go and help her up, but the blonde's head shot up quickly, green eyes round once more. She clambered back up, readjusting herself as she claimed her seat beside her older brother.

"Why did he scream?" Sophie asked, voice small.

Jack sat down with a small thud, grinning as he shrugged. "You'd scream too if you stepped on a nail with no shoes on." He said, grinning crookedly.

Sophie blinked, looking confused as she stared at him. "Well then…what made the noise?" She asked, eyebrows scrunched up tightly together. It was like she was trying to connect the dots inside her head, trying to figure out the punch line. They'd be here all night. Jack sighed, opening his mouth and readying himself to explain the whole point of the story, when Jamie interrupted him, brown eyes glinting as he complained mockingly.

"That's not a _real _scary story!" He objected. "You said it would be scary!"

Jack grinned, resting his head on the palms of his hands. "Me and Sophie thought it was plenty scary, didn't we, Squirt?" He asked. The little girl was shivering by now, whether it was from fear or cold, Jack didn't know. The sun was starting to go down, even though it was probably only around five. The sun always went down early in winter. It was probably the only bad side effect from the season. "Aw, Sophie." Jack sighed, his smile getting softer than before. "Don't you get it? There was no monster in the first place. It was just a long joke."

"Monsters don't exist, Sophie. Everybody knows that." Jamie chimed in, reaching over and zipping up the girl's coat all the way up to her chin. Sophie's shivering stopped a little at this, the girl reaching up and hugging herself tightly, rubbing her arms. Her teeth started to chatter, and Jack figured that they had been out here long enough. He'd had time to beat Jamie in skating races probably nine times. He'd let the boy win the last one, though he didn't know whether or not Jamie actually believed he'd beaten him on that last one.

"Alright." Jack said, jumping up from the snow, scooping up his staff as he did so. "I think it's time you two got back home. Your mom will be looking for you guys." Sophie glanced around at the dark woods, stubbornly staying in her seat even when her brother stood up. Jack sighed under his breath, wincing inwardly. He'd figured that the story wouldn't be too scary for her. After all, it was just a joke. "You shouldn't be scared, Sophie." He said, reaching over and hoisting the girl up until she was standing on her own. "It was just something silly, it wasn't a real story. There's nothing to fear but fear itself."

The girl blinked, as if debating inside of her head. But then she nodded once, eyes still a little weary as she looked up at Jack. She turned, leaning down and picking up her skates that had been sitting near the heat of the fire. She shook them out a moment, to get all the melted snow and ice off from them, and then held them close to her chest, like a shield. Jack eyed her for a heartbeat before swinging his staff forward, over the open flames still raging from their fire. Immediately, it sizzled, going out in less than a second. Jamie gaped excitedly at this, the way he always did whenever Jack did something with his powers. "That's so cool!" The boy said eagerly, going over and standing where the fire had been moments before. He stomped on the ashes left behind, mixing it in with the snow and causing it to take on the blackish tinge of soot.

Jack was just starting to wonder where Sophie had gotten herself off to, when suddenly he felt a tight pressure on his hand. The Winter Sprite started, turning and looking down oddly at Sophie. The girl had scurried over relatively silently; she was now clinging to Jack's hand like she had accidentally glued herself to him. The white-haired boy mentally cursed himself repeatedly for thinking that she wouldn't be afraid of that story. She was too little, she wasn't able to grasp the concept. "Alright, let's go, Jamie." He called, rousing the boy out from his stomping as he straightened. Jamie glanced at his watch, as if he wanted to object to leaving so soon. But when he looked at the time, his shoulders sagged. "Yeah, I guess." He mumbled, letting his arms fall back to his side. Jack turned, pulling Sophie along beside him as they went back the way they had come.

Jamie brightened considerably, hopping forward until he was walking beside Jack and his sister. "Will you come and get us from school again tomorrow?" He asked. "Maybe we can get the others to come along too! And then we could have our own Skating Olympics! Wouldn't that be fun?" Jaime looked over at his sister encouragingly, waiting for her to agree with him. She gave a smile in return, the gaps in her mouth from loosing her baby teeth sticking out. Jamie laughed at this, turning back to Jack as he gave another bounce. "Do you think we could?" He asked.

Jack started to reply, when Jamie interrupted him yet again. "We should have a Snow Day tomorrow!" He said, bending over and scooping up a big handful of powdery snow. He threw it over his head, the wind blowing it backwards with a big gust. "Can you make it a Snow Day tomorrow? That'd be so awesome!"

"I dunno, Jamie." Jack said, smiling coyly. "The Guardians have started to get onto me about how many days of school I take away at a time. Last winter, they drew the line at about a week." Jamie's lower lip stuck out in a pout for a heartbeat, before he brightened yet again. He immediately started to fire questions to Jack. About the other Guardians, how fast he had managed to fly , if he and the Easter Bunny still fought all the time, about what he does in other towns when he leaves this one. And if Jack didn't know the kid any better, he would have thought there was some jealousy mixed in with that last question.

They were on the edge of the woods when suddenly, Sophie stopped dead in her tracks. Jack was immediately pulled backwards, the weight on his hand acting like a small anchor to the snow. He turned, blue eyes slightly narrowed as he looked down at Sophie with concern. And, okay, a little impatience. Jamie had walked a few paces without noticing their halt, turning back to look at the two when he had gone a few feet ahead. His breath curled up into the air like a little cloud, the boy stuffing his hands deep into his coat pockets as he gave a little shiver. The moon was up by now, the sun having completely disappeared, the heat along with it. "C'mon, Sophie, it's cold." Jamie complained.

"What is it, Sophie?" Jack asked.

The girl pointed over to the right, into the trees. "I saw something over there!" She squeaked out.

Jack looked the way she had gestured, squinting to try and see better through the new darkness that the moon had brought. He couldn't see anything where she was pointing, but the girl's green eyes were filled with an unnaturally-immense amount of fear. She saw something, that much was certain. Jack looked from the woods, then back to Jamie and Sophie. He pulled Sophie backwards, putting her beside her brother. Jamie immediately reached over, taking her hand from Jack's and edging forward slightly. There'd better be something there, or everybody just got edgy for no reason.

"It's probably nothing." Jack said easily, tightening his hold on his staff. "I'll be right back." He flashed a warning look over towards Jamie, raising his eyebrows. "Stay there, though." He said firmly, the boy giving a small nod. He probably wouldn't have moved anyway, but Jack just wanted to be sure. Turning, the Guardian adjusted his staff before retracing his steps, going to the right where Sophie had pointed. The kids watched him intently, eyes like an owl's as they followed his form moving through the trees.

Jack was never going to tell another stupid story _ever_ to Sophie. The teen grumbled a bit under his breath. "People usually have to actually have kids to suffer this kind of stuff." He huffed, blue eyes scanning the area around him intently. There was nothing there. Whatever Sophie had seen, it must have either left. Or never had been there in the first place. He started to turn, when he jerked to an abrupt halt, eyes widening. A sharp crack of a branch echoed through the timid silence that had once claimed the place. There was a rapid shuffling, like somebody fumbling for footing.

Jack jumped, surprised by the sudden noise. He turned at once, blue eyes searching the woods. It could just be somebody walking around for a nightly stroll, of course. Jack had no power over what people might do in their free time, as weird as their preferences might be. He started to debate just walking back to Jamie and Sophie when suddenly a dark shape hurtled out from the bushes, a black streak like a missile leaping straight at him. Jack gasped sharply, raising his staff and shooting a blast of freezing wind at his attacker. The black shape was thrown to the side sharply, landing with a POOF into a snow bank.

The Guardian rushed over to where the thing had landed, eyes round with surprise and worry. What was it? Had he hurt it? Before he knew it, Jamie and Sophie were right next to him, peering around his torso as they looked down at the mound of snow anxiously. Jack shot them an irritated look, but leaned over, reaching out and brushing the snow aside. At once, the shape poked its head out, letting out a loud…meow. Jack deadpanned as the black cat shot to its feet, spitting angrily at the trio that was in front of it.

Jack and Jamie leaned backwards, eyes widening. But Sophie let out a delighted squeal, hands shooting out to try and make a grab for the stray. Jack smacked her hands out of the way just in time, the cat lashing out and clawing where the girl's hands had been moments before. The thing lashed its tail in agitation, hissing sharply before turning-tail and streaking away, back into the woods. Sophie's shoulders slumped with disappointment as she watched the pet flee back wherever it had come from, and Jack sucked in a slow breath before saying anything.

But when he did, he straightened, leaning over and putting his arm around Sophie's shoulders tightly. "That's it!" He said suddenly, Jamie tearing his eyes away from where the cat had gone as he looked back at the Guardian. "I forgot the rest of the story. Silly me." Sophie blinked, but Jack shrugged one shoulder. "The thing making noise in that guy's attic? It was his pet dog. I always forget that part." He looked over towards Jamie. "I thought I told you to remind me."

Jamie looked lost, but then he grinned, shrugging one shoulder.

Sophie still looked a little lost, and Jack mentally slapped himself in the face. "Just like your dog at home, right? It makes noises all the time! It was just his dog, he forgot to take it out of the attic. No monsters, they don't exist."

"…They don't?" Sophie asked, brightening little by little.

"Nah, everybody knows that. Besides, you're too cool to be afraid of them, right?" He asked, grinning.

Sophie giggled, jumping up and down, spraying snow everywhere in the process. "Haha! Yeah!" She might as well have been complimented by the President. She twisted around to her brother, grabbing his hands and spinning in a tight circle, pulling him along with her. "I'm cool! I'm cool! I'm cool!" Jamie made a garbled reply, eyes wide as he stumbled, trying to catch up with her. Jack smiled, blue eyes softening as he looked at the two. But suddenly, Sophie halted, Jamie tripping over himself and falling face-first into the snow. The girl's eyes widened, she raised her arm and pointed up at the sky.

Jack blinked, turning and leaning back. Vibrant colors flashed through the sky, a liquid rainbow swimming through the clear night air. Jamie picked himself up, dusting the snow off from his pants and shirt. He looked like he was going to start to get onto his sister about throwing him, but stopped short at the sight in the sky. His mouth snapped shut, expression matching his sister's perfectly. Awe. Amazement, too. But at the sight of the colors moving across the sky, Jack only frowned, forehead creasing with confusion. _…What?_

"You know, I just remembered." Jack said, turning and flashing a grin down at Jamie and Sophie, who managed to take their eyes off from the sight up in the sky to look over to him. "I have to go over and make it snow over in St. Louis. Completely slipped my mind. You two can go home on your own, right?" Sophie hesitated, but Jamie nodded, grabbing his sister's hand once more.

"Do you really have to go?" Sophie whined softly, mouth pulling into a frown.

"'Fraid so." Jack said, eyes flashing up to the sky. At the kid's disappointed look, he grinned again. "But I'll be back soon." He promised, leaning down and ruffling their hair warmly. "I'll see you guys tomorrow, alright? You should hurry home." He turned to go, already more than late, he would have guessed. But the two rushed forward, wrapping their hands tightly around his waist in a warm embrace. Jack stopped short, turning around and smiling. He moved so that he was crouching on the snow, managing to take each of them into his arms as well. They stayed like that for a moment before Jack knew that he really had to get going.

North was going to make him into an Elf if he delayed any longer.

He pulled back, straightening. "I'll pop by tomorrow, okay?" He asked, blue eyes unusually warm for a Winter Sprite.

"Oh! Will you make it snow!?" Sophie demanded excitedly.

Jack rubbed the back of his neck, laughing under his breath. "That's what I'm here for!" He said cheerfully.

Sophie grinned toothily, clapping her hands together rapidly. Jamie reached over, grabbing her arm and tugging her back to their house. "Thanks for today!" He called over to Jack, almost tripping over himself as he walked backwards. "It was awesome! See you tomorrow!" Jack waved in reply, watching as they got farther and farther away from the woods. He would wait a make sure that they made it to the edge of the town, at least. If he couldn't do anything else.

"Beat I can beat you to the house!" Jamie's voice echoed over, just reaching Jack's ears. Sophie immediately took the challenge, taking her hand from her brother's and dashing forward. The boy glanced backwards, locking eyes with Jack one last time. He beamed, raising his hand and swinging it back and forth widely. Then he turned and raced after his sister, tossing up snow behind him as he went.

Jack laughed softly to himself, a small smile working its way onto his face as he looked after the two children. He wished that whatever this was about could have waited a few more hours. He liked it when he got to spend time with them, without a care about anything really. He lost track of so much time that he forgot to savor it. He shook his head to clear it at that last thought, rolling his eyes to himself. He was being ridiculous.

And he was being late, too.

He turned abruptly, giving a sigh before stretching his arms out to his sides. "Wind, give me a boost!" He yelled, smile audible in his words. At once, a large gust blew against his back, Jack jumping off from the ground and soaring into the air. The freezing gusts blew by him, and yet he didn't even blink an eye. This was his kind of weather.

He shot forward, with the speed of the wind on his side.

He gave another roll of his eyes, grumbling under his breath heatedly. "What now, North?"

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

The others were all gathered at North's home, and they were waiting for him. And not patiently, mind you. Jack located the nearest window to where they were, leaning forward and swooping inside the room with expertise that came from hundreds of years of practice. The others immediately spun around to face him, the boy pretending not to notice as he made a big scene to brushing off his clothes. Readjusting his hold on his staff, Jack stuck one hand into the pocket of his hoodie, meeting the others' looks and giving them an innocent smile. "Did I miss anything?" He chirped.

Bunnymund rolled his eyes, hand on his hip as he gestured lamely over to Jack. "Why do we always have to wait for him?" He asked, shooting Jack a flinty stare, in which the boy retaliated by sticking his tongue out. "We should have just started without him. You've got enough to do around here. It's like being in the subway." The bunny's nose wrinkled at this, as if thinking about the cramped, underground place with distaste. Jack perked, starting as he realized what he had failed to notice before he came in.

Christmas.

The place was crawling with Yetis. Wait, not crawling…_sprinting_. The workers were rushing back and forth like they were on fire. Some held presents, some wrapping paper, some stocking stuffers, you get the idea. The impact on the upcoming holiday was looming over the place, and it was obviously taking its toll. A passing Yeti rushed right in front of Jack, nearly plowing right over him without a passing glance. A stuffed animal smacked him in the face, Jack managing to catch it before it could hit the ground. He opened his mouth to call the Yeti back to get what he had dropped, but it was long gone.

Fighting the urge not to freeze the thing for being so rude, Jack jumped, gliding over the mass of workers before landing neatly beside Bunnymund. "Welp." He huffed, stuffing the present inside his hoodie. He'd find the Yeti after all this and return it. "I'm here now. What's this all about?" He looked around expectantly, waiting for something huge to happen. The place to collapse, one of the Yetis to suddenly flip out, maybe some freak weather thing. He didn't know. Hopefully it was something, otherwise he'd come all the way here for nothing.

And it looked like the others were plenty busy, too. Tooth's little hummingbirds milled around her like little bees, the fairy dishing out names of teeth like rapid fire action like she always did. Jack tried to catch onto whatever she was saying, but she was speaking way too fast. Her words mixed in and slurred with one another, he couldn't find the beginning or the end of them. But her assistances seemed to know exactly what she was saying, dashing off and speeding away in the blink of an eye. Sandman was off to the side, making small little images out of his bright yellow dream sand, things like horses and cats and things like that. Jack thought he saw a snowflake in one of them, making him wonder if Jamie was asleep yet. Sandy crafted the things before bringing them up to his face, blowing them as hard as he could, cheeks puffing out. The images crumbled until they were just sand, but shot forward and out of the window that Jack had come through.

It was like Instant Messaging dreams to kids.

One of Tooth's hummingbirds did a flip at the sight of him, gleeful chirps rising from the small thing. Jack turned, blinking rapidly with surprise. Little wings zipping quickly, the hummingbird shot over to Jack, twisting around the teen's head as it let out happy tweets. Jack grinned, reaching out and letting it drop down neatly on the palm of his hand. He smiled from ear-to-ear, eyes lighting up at once. "Hey there, Baby Tooth."

Tooth went forward, eyes glimmering with amusement as she cleared her throat pointedly. Baby Tooth straightened, looking over at the bigger Fairy questioningly. "I believe there's a canine over in Canada with your name on it." Tooth said, raising her eyebrows questioningly at the miniature Fay. Baby Tooth drooped at this, reluctantly flitting her wings and getting back into the air. She twisted, rushing back to Jack and planting a small kiss on his cheek in farewell. And then -throwing a disappointed look to Tooth- shot out the window.

North had been muttering something to a Yeti, the shaggy fur of it barely visible underneath all the presents that were stacked precariously on top of one another. But when he spotted Jack, he finished his conversation with a few mumbled words, dismissing the Yeti as he gave him an appreciative pat on the shoulder. Jack winced, already realizing what would happen. The Yeti immediately lost his grip, the presents tumbling to the ground with loud smashing sounds. Jack grimaced as he heard the sound of glass breaking inside its package. The Yeti stared wide-eyed at the mess, unable to even move as he looked at the catastrophe he was meant to clean up now.

But for once, North paid no heed. He turned, eyes unusually cold. They were usually warm and soft, like all the pictures of 'Santa' that kids drew and colored in. But now he was serious, and a little grim. Jack immediately sobered, clamping his mouth shut, unconsciously tightening his hold on his staff, as if for comfort. North turned, gesturing over to the large globe that stood in the center of the room. "This." He said, accent making his words sound odd. "Is why I've called you all here."

Sandman stopped in his crafting of dreams, turning and narrowing his eyes a little bit, going back over to stand with the others. Tooth had stopped instructing her little fairies, wringing her hands together nervously as she craned her neck in attempt to see. Jack tilted his head to the side, scanning the spinning replica of the Earth. It looked fine. No lights were out…the he could see. It wasn't exploding on impact or spinning off its axis. It looked like it always did. But Tooth gasped sharply at his side, Jack turning and looking at her oddly. She had clamped a hand tightly over her mouth, letting it slip slightly as she looked over at North. "What does it mean?" She asked.

"This…I do not know." North said, stroking his beard with narrowed eyes. "It is why I have called all of you together. I think it is something that we must be aware of." Jack grew impatient, looking back over at the Earth, harder this time. He was missing something, the others seemed to have caught on to whatever danger was shown there.

But then he saw it.

He almost missed it. Shadows traced the edges of the land, as if a boundary between it and the ocean. It weaved and pulled, but it did not expand. It merely traced the edges, where land met sea, as if it were a kind of sick guard. Jack's eyes flashed with a small hint of anger at the sight of it, teeth grinding together fixedly. He twisted his head, looking over at North with an expression of disbelief. "You don't know what it means?" He asked, pointing the curved edge of his staff over to the Globe. North shook his head, giving a small shrug, as if he thought it would suffice. Well, it wasn't going to.

Bunnymund's nose scrunched up, as if he had just stepped into something foul. "It makes no sense!" The rabbit objected. "It's just sitting there, not even moving a little bit!" His eyes darkened, narrowing into small little slits. "What's he up to?" He asked, voice smaller. Almost like a growl. If rabbits could growl.

"Hey, wait." Tooth said, speaking up where she floated in midair. "We don't know for sure-"

"Well who else could it be?" Bunnymund demanded, interrupting her in the middle of her words.

Tooth shot him a sour look, but she didn't reply.

"It started about a few days ago." North said thoughtfully, looking over towards the lines of shadows.

"And you're just now getting this information to us?" Jack asked sarcastically.

"Would have heard it sooner if you hadn't taken so long, Mate." Bunnymund said scathingly.

Jack felt the familiar tug of annoyance he always got whenever Bunnymund basically opened his mouth. "Hey, I'm sorry kids actually like me now." The teen shot back.

"Oh here we g-"

"Guys!" Tooth shouted, both their heads whipping back to look at her. She was a little pink in the face. More than she usually was. "We're dealing with something serious, can't we treat it as such?" She demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. She glared at the both of them expectantly, Sandman giving her a little help as he pointed sternly. There was silence for a moment, Tooth mumbling to another one of her assistants out of the corner of her mouth. "…molar in Hawaii."

Jack sighed, throwing a look over at the bunny before turning back to North, forcing himself to focus in on this. It was important. "Has it spread since then?" He asked. "Or has it always been like this?" He glanced back at the shadows. It was like somebody had took permanent marker and outlined the masses of land. You had to stare at it a moment or two before you noticed them at all. It was unnerving and yet not at the same time.

"No, no." North grunted, putting his hands on his hips. "It has stayed like that for long time. I had first noticed it when it was this big." He nodded as he spoke, as if emphasizing his words. Bunnymund's ears flattened to his head at these words, looking more confused than angered by now. Tooth drooped a little at this, frowning slightly as well. Nobody broke the silence, just staring at the Globe with quizzical expressions.

Jack sighed shortly, deciding that he would be the one to volunteer for it, then. "Then that gives us plenty of time to figure out what we want to do." He said simply, looking around and waiting for somebody to agree with him. But they were all looking at him expectantly, as if waiting for him to go on. Grumbling mentally, the teen tried again. "I mean…it doesn't look like it's going anywhere right now. So we just find the source of all this mess and just put a stop to it Guardian-Style." It sounded pretty darn simple to him.

"It can't be that easy." Bunnymund sighed, rolling his eyes.

"I don't see you dishing out any ideas, Cottontail." Jack snapped.

Bunnymund's eyes narrowed. "That's MR. Cottontail to you, Frostbite."

"I think Jack's heading in the right direction." Tooth said, cutting their fight off. "We have to find whatever is causing this and put a stop to it, before it can get any worse." She looked over at the Globe, fluttering up higher in the air to try and get a better look at it. "Whatever it is, it doesn't look very strong yet. If we act quickly, we can take care of all this before it gets any worse than it already is." Bunnymund nodded at this, Jack fuming silently at the rabbit.

North was nodding along with this, though he looked a little disappointed with the fact that they couldn't really get much more out of this. "I suppose you both are right." He conceded, giving a stiff nod. "We need to keep close eye on things from now on. To make sure that Pitch will not return and start everything up again." He glanced over the chaotic place that was his workshop. "Hopefully soon." He remarked bluntly. "I've got enough on plate as is."

Suddenly there was a noise from behind Jack. Almost like something falling, or glass breaking. Eyes burned into his back, and Jack started, turning around quickly to look over his shoulder. His blue eyes flashed left and right, scanning the area with an odd look. Tooth stared over at him, a small dash of concern showing in her eyes. "Jack?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. "What is it? Is something wrong?" Jack turned back, mouth open without any noise coming out. The others were looking over at him now, all four pairs of eyes trained on his figure.

He immediately blew out a huff of air. "Yeah, everything's peachy." He said, stuffing his hands into his hoodie. He cradled his staff in his elbow, making sure that it wouldn't fall and freeze this whole operation running around the place. That would really put a damper on things. He glanced over at the wall, searching for a clock. And when his eyes finally landed on one, he stifled a gasp. "I was scheduled in St. Louis an hour ago." He grumbled, running a hand through his spiky hair. "So if that's all we have to talk about, I really should be going…" He swooped down from his hover in midair, making for the window he had come through.

"So you're just going to leave?" Bunnymund demanded.

Jack stopped, perching on the windowsill like a cat. He blew out a huff of air, hair fluttering up as he did so. He turned back around, blue eyes flashing with annoyance. "There's nothing more _to_ talk about. We said we'd keep an eye on things, and that's what I intend to do." His voice was a little sharper now. "I'm just as busy as North, I actually have things to do, you know." Bunnymund still looked a little ticked off. The way he always did, Jack grumbled to himself. He sighed. "I _promise_ that I'll keep an eye on things. I make it snow in ten different places each night, I'm pretty sure I'll get a good look around."

Before Bunnymund could reply, Tooth interjected, throwing a sharp look over at the bunny. "We know, Jack. I have to get going too." She looked over apologetically to North. "I've got a pretty full plate myself. But I'll tell my fairies to look where they leap." She paused, then added as an afterthought: "And our European Division too."

"Is fine." North said. "We are all very busy. But as long as we keep the children in our minds, they will do the same to us."

That seemed to be the dismissal. Bunnymund nodded, saying a quick farewell before tapping his foot twice on the ground. He dove into the black pit that opened up underneath him, disappearing in less than a moment. Sandy did a quick spin, sand engulfing him as he disappeared as well. Tooth glanced over at Jack, giving a small smile. "Do you mind if I fly out with you?" She asked.

Jack grinned, turning and stepping out of the window to give her space. "If you can keep up." He teased, watching as the Fairy fit herself neatly out from the window. Her eyes flashed as he spoke, grinning as she showed off her perfectly-white teeth. The two turned, flying away from North's home and making in the general direction of St. Louis. Jack turned, glancing over at her. "Don't your Fairies need you?" He asked over the wind, Tooth looking over at him.

"I'm sure they can manage a few minutes." She said, the wind making her feathers rustle and bristle along her sides. She turned, meeting the boy's bright blue eyes. "I mainly just wanted to see if you were okay." The words made Jack screech to a stop, surprise making him grimace.

"Of course I'm okay." He said, Tooth stopping as well, looking at him closely. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Tooth gave a small shrug, giving him a bubbly smile. "It can't be easy adjusting to all of this." She said, waving her arms around to the snowy place around her. "It wasn't when I just started being a Guardian. And with the way you acted in the Work Shop, I just thought that you might need somebody to talk to? Maybe…another Guardian?" The advice was helpful, and meant well. But Jack had no idea what she was talking about.

"No, I just…I just thought somebody was staring at me. It must have been one of the Yetis."

Tooth hummed in a reply, still looking a little skeptical. The two hovered in midair a moment, silence reigning in the snowy realm around them as pinch eyes clashed with blue. "Well…if that's all…" Tooth paused, giving him a moment to object. Maybe to tell her if there was anything more. But there wasn't. Jack stared steadily back at her, not even blinking. Tooth's shoulders slumped, giving him a shy grin. "Well, good, then." She managed. "I just…wanted to let you know that you can tell me anything. I know there aren't a lot of…'sympathetic' people in our group." Her eyes sparkled at this, and she managed to get a small grin from him.

"Alright." Jack said, adjusting his grip on his staff. "I'd better get going. Lots of snow to make, and so little time."

"Okay." Tooth repeated, watching as the teen muttered out something to the wind, started to blow away. He got a few yards away when Tooth drew herself up, cupping her hands over her mouth. "Jack!" She yelled. The teen skidded to a stop, turning back and looking at her questioningly. She sucked in a breath, calling out as loud as she could, hoping he would be able to hear her. "Just…be careful, okay!? Something is wrong here, don't let your guard down!"

Jack gave a large wave to signal he had heard before turning and flying away before she could say anything else. Tooth blinked slowly, letting her arms fall back to her sides as she stared after him. She was alone in the snow, the Fairy looking around aimlessly, as if there was an answer to all this somewhere. She'd meant what she said. Something was wrong here, she just couldn't tell what. They were missing a piece of the puzzle.

The Fairy turned, raising her eyes and looking up into the sky. The moon floated overhead, huge and almost a little threatening in its large stature. Tooth placed her hands over her heart, coral eyes going up to stare at the large white sphere.

"…Please." She whispered. "Whatever this is, please let it go by quickly."

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

A/N: This is when the confrontation starts to actually show :3

And hopefully next chapter will be as awesome as I'm thinking it will be ^^

Hopefully I'll get more reviews for this chapter than I did last, because I'd really like to hear from everyone reading this whether or not you like it so far and your thoughts on it : )

Anyway, please review! Reviews = Faster Updates! ;D


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: First of all, let me say: Rainbow Snow cone? JackRabbit?

I might not support most of the pairings out there, but I have to hand it to you all. Those are some adorable names. O-o

_Thoughts~ _

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

Days pass, and no other word comes from the other Guardians. No rainbows spilling out across the sky, no urgent gust of wind pulling him back to the others. It was like nothing ever happened. Like the shadows were just a figment of their imagination. Some trick of the light, and North forgot to tell them that it was all resolved. After all, there wasn't much to be afraid of, so far. If North hadn't called them all back, nothing must have changed with the shadows, so they couldn't have gotten any worse. The situation just _couldn't _be worrisome, could it?

After all, it took a moment to even find the shadows in the first place, they were so thin. Like somebody had just colored all over the globe with a thin pencil. Something as miniscule as that couldn't be something to pull your hair out from. It's just that it went _all _around the earth. Jack was never one to be very good at math, he never had the patience to remember all those numbers and letters combined together. But he figured that if it was that long, it wasn't something to _totally _disregard.

So he watched his step for the first few days, looking around with a new kind of viewpoint as he frosted over states and created blizzards in Maine. He searched for something that could have been the origin of the new-founded issue, but nothing showed up. There was nothing in forests, there was nothing in deserts, towns, mountains, or prairies. Nothing but people going about their own business, completely unaware of the Guardian as he wove and shot through the air.

Children laughed and played, making snowball fights and snowmen like there was no tomorrow. Their eyes were lit up with the kind of light that only kids could have, giggles like music in the frost-bitten air. There wasn't a single frown on the face of a child that could even hint at the possibility of something wrong. It was just like it always was. Completely safe and utterly secure.

And that was the scariest part of it.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

Jack had taken to waiting for Jamie and Sophie outside of Sophie's classroom, considering that Jamie walked down there anyway at the end of the day. The Guardian leaned against the wall of the school, eyeing the clock just like every other kid was in the building. Today was the last day that the kids were in school; Winter Break started in less than ten minutes. The tension in the atmosphere made the air thick with excitement and yearning, which was expected, of course. Not only was Winter Break within reach, but so was Christmas. Today was the 23rd of December, which made Christmas almost two days away.

And when the bell sounded overhead, the place literally erupted like a volcano. Kids poured out of classes like they were on fire, laughing and jumping with friends as they made straight for the busses. Jack stiffened, raising himself so that he was hovering over the large crowd of kids. He turned over to Sophie's classroom, looking at it expectantly as he tried to find the little girl in the crowd. But she wasn't anywhere to be found. He frowned, starting to move so that he could peer through the classroom window, when a loud shout made him stop.

One of Jamie's friends had stopped, the crowd milling around him like a stream would do if there was a rock in the way. He lifted his arm, waving up at Jack with a large smile. "Hi, Jack!" He called out, over the noise that the other kids were making. Jack grinned, shifting over so that he was sitting cross-legged in midair. He put his staff across his lap, leaning over and putting his head on his hands as he looked down. The boy frowned suddenly, raising his voice a little. "Are you waiting for Jamie?" He asked, the question catching Jack off-guard. "He's sick today, he wasn't in class."

Jack blinked rapidly. "Sick?" He echoed, as if the word were foreign to him.

Jamie's friend shrugged. "Sophie said that he had a fever this morning." He explained, casting a glance back over his shoulder towards the busses that were lined up outside. Everybody was almost out of the school, the time for him to catch his own bus was dwindling. "Hey- are we going to see you after school?" He asked, turning back to him with an eager smile. Jamie completely slipped his mind as he looked back over to the Winter Spirit. "Or do you have somewhere else to be?" He asked as an afterthought.

"I dunno." Jack said, flashing the kid a grin. He couldn't remember the person's name for the life of him. "Maybe I'll catch you around, though." He amended, backtracking on himself. "I'm not sure if I have other stuff to do. I'll have to think about it." The kid smiled up at him, giving an energetic 'okay' accompanied with a wave. And then he turned, adjusting his grip on his backpack as he rushed out the doors to the yellow busses lined up in the Parking Lot. Jack watched him go, letting another frown cross over his face as soon as he had turned.

Jamie was sick? It must have been from hanging out in the snow all the time. Every day after school, they had been out in the woods, sledding down hills, roasting marshmallows in the backyard. Name it, and they probably had done something close to it. Jack guessed it was only natural for the boy to have developed a sickness. Jack couldn't very well relate to it, of course, but he knew that it was easy to get sick. He was just starting to wonder if Sophie was sick as well; she hadn't come out of her classroom yet.

But then the girl in question finally pushed her way out into the hall, backpack slung lopsidedly over one shoulder. Her eyes were shining, she was holding something, her right hand balled into a tight fist. Her teacher leaned against the doorframe of the classroom, laughing somewhat as she watched the little girl hop away. "Have a good break, Sophie!" The teacher called, pushing herself up and retreating back into the classroom. "Remember that we're going to share what we got for Christmas when we come back!" Sophie stopped, turning back to her teacher attentively. "Don't forget to bring the best gift you got during Break!" She said, voice peppy as she smiled down at her student. "I'll see you in a few weeks!" She called out, turning and closing the door behind her.

Sophie had taken so long in getting out of her classroom, the halls were empty by now. Jack smiled with a fervent sense of relief, going forward and hanging upside-down in front of the small blonde. "There you are!" He smiled, Sophie lighting up as Jack hung over her. "I thought you'd gone away and joined the circus!" He teased, eyes glinting with amusement as Sophie collapsed into a fit of giggles at the comment. Her grip slackened in her right hand, Jack blinking rapidly as he caught a flash of white in her palm. "What's this?" He asked, reaching over and snatching the thing out of her hands before she even had time to react.

Jack flipped so that he was upright, looking closely at what he was holding. It was an oversized tooth. Like…literally…it was the size of about five teeth put together. He looked over at Sophie, confusion written over his face as he waited for an explanation. The girl clapped her hands together quickly, dancing from foot to foot like she couldn't bear to sit still. "It's a little holdy-thing!" She said, only furthering Jack's puzzlement as he continued to look at her. Sophie put her hands together, shifting them away from each other like she was trying to make her hands become some sort of Pac-Man. "You open it!" She chirped, bouncing once more.

Jack how to look closely, but then he saw the small little indention in the tooth to open it, plus little hinges on the back. Taking a few tries, Jack finally managed to open it without dropping it in the process. It did indeed open up into a small little cubby. Inside, there was a much smaller tooth, a little dried blood on the edge of it. He perked, turning over to Sophie with surprise written on his face. The girl smiled widely, showing off the new window in her mouth, the gap where a tooth should have been. "You lost a tooth!" He cried happily, amazement laced throughout his tone.

Sophie nodded rapidly, looking quite pleased with herself.

"Wow!" Jack smirked, closing up the tooth-carrier so that it wouldn't fall out and on to the floor. They would never find it if it fell. He handed it back to Sophie, who pocketed it immediately. Jack gave a small laugh, hands on his hips as he leaned forward, as if inspecting her carefully. "Lost a tooth!?" Jack repeated, voice high and sign-songy. "You know, you're getting pretty old, Squirt! You're going to have to start thinking about retirement soon!" He said, Sophie collapsing into a fit of giggles. "Get settled down! You're one your first tooth! Come on! Get it together!" He said, reaching over and tickling her.

"Nuh-uh!" She said, managing to duck away from him, face pink. "I'm still little!"

Jack straightened, holding his stick in his hands as he leaned his head against it. His eyes softened at her words, a smile worming its way to his mouth. "Yeah." He said, voice warm. "I know." Sophie blinked, clasping her hands behind her back as she smiled back at him. For a moment, all they did was stare at each other. But then Jack shook his head rapidly, smirking once more. "Hey! This is a special occasion! I have something for you! If I still have it…" He mumbled, sticking his hand into the pocket of his hoodie. He smiled as he felt something, drawing it out and displaying it to the little girl. "Here ya go! It's on the house!"

He'd forgotten that he'd picked this up at North's Place. Or at least…forgotten to find that Yeti again and give it back to him. It was a small little Giraffe stuffed animal. Small for him, but it seemed to be the perfect size for Sophie. She immediately beamed, reaching over and hugging the Giraffe tightly. Jack grinned at the sight, but wondered dimly how he could have forgotten something like that in his hoodie. "That's not it, either." He said, Sophie perking as she looked up from her new toy. "I suppose Tooth will be looking out for you tonight." He said, smiling crookedly. "She'll leave you another gift in exchange for that tooth right there!"

Sophie started bouncing again at once. She seemed more hyped up than usual today. "I'm so excited!" She shrieked. Jack winced at the sudden rise of volume, the door to Sophie's classroom opening as the teacher stuck her head out from the door. Her eyes flashed with a little reproach as she looked at her student, and Jack braced himself for her to start yelling. After all, who screams in the halls? But she recovered quickly, taking a short breath before saying anything. And when she did, she smiled again, getting over her brief flash of impatience.

"Sophie, your mom is waiting to pick you up outside." She said, nodding her head over to the Parking Lot outside. "She just called and told me to stop you. Since Jamie is home sick, you can't walk home. I'd expect she's sitting outside for you right about now." Sophie quieted at once at this, still gripping her new toy tightly to her chest. The teacher smiled one last time before going back into the classroom. Sophie looked over towards the doors that led outside. Sure enough, a white van was parked right outside, Sophie's mother waiting patiently for her daughter.

Sophie turned to Jack, looking a little crestfallen. "I wont be able to walk home with you…" She whined, eyes growing big and sad. She stuck out her lip in a pout, looking back over at the car.

Jack waved his hand dismissively. "I'll follow you, if you want." He offered, the girl brightening at once. "How about you and me have a race? Who can get to your house quicker?" Jack was almost more than sure that he could out-fly a car, but he didn't let that on to Sophie. He had to remember that the kids always got beaten by him, he had to let them start winning. Give and Take.

Sophie jumped once before turning abruptly, without even calling out a goodbye. She raced out to the doors, throwing them open and jumping into her car. Even from where he stood, Jack could hear the girl yelling at her mother frantically. "Go! Go, go, go, go, go!" She threw her seatbelt down across her and turned to look over at Jack expectantly. The car started to pull away from the school, heading back the way it had come. Frost let out a small laugh, pushing off the ground and making his way out into the much colder air.

He put on just enough speed so that he was flying alongside the car, right next to Sophie's window. The blonde moved, pressing her nose against the glass as she smiled brilliantly. Her eyes were wide with happiness, her smile almost reaching both ears. Jack's eyes softened, thinking back to the small tooth that Sophie had managed to lose today. "You're still little." He whispered, almost to himself. "Don't grow up so fast, you have to wait a little bit."

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

Sophie's mother had to run errands, so the race to their house didn't really go as planned. They stopped at Wal-Mart, Target, Kohl's, and last but not least the grocery store. It had taken her mother a while to eventually notice it, but she did ask about the new toy that her daughter was clutching. She was observing dresses for their upcoming Christmas Party, when suddenly, she perked, turning around and eyeing her daughter oddly. "Sophie, where did you get that?" She asked, pointing over to the stuffed animal. Sophie and Jack had been busy playing hide-and-seek, the girl poking her head out of a rack of shirts as she looked over at her mother. She looked confused, so her mother explained further. "Did you get that stuffed animal at school?" She prompted.

"Yup!" She said without hesitation. "I got it because I lost my tooth!"

Her mother blinked, as if she wasn't aware they gave out toys in exchange for teeth. But she turned away after a heartbeat, turning back to her dresses with a skeptical eye. Sophie giggled, retreating back into the clothes. Jack lingered outside the little fort, arms crossed as his eyes twinkled. "Sophie, don't make me come in and get you." He sighed, the girl shaking the whole rack with laughter. "I'll end up just freezing everything. Do you really want that?"

Sophie peeked out from the clothes rack. "Maybe!"

And that's how it went for Wal-Mart. For Target, Jack and Sophie took turns trying to throw icicles with enough accuracy to hit the bulls-eye of the logo. That ended in a brief session after Sophie sliced her dart right by some poor employee. That action put a stop to their game, and their trip at the store. Kohl's was raiding the toy section, which caused a Nerf Gun fight between Sophie and this other kid that was browsing. In the Grocery Store, Jack and Sophie wandered into the freezer section, in which Jack frosted over silly faces onto the glass.

Their antics didn't really help speed the process along. Even more so when Sophie's mother had to call over the intercom to find them in the freezer aisle. So by the time they got back to the house, it was around dinner time. Sophie rushed inside, waving her Giraffe around excitedly as she ranted to Jack about possible tea parties and Gala's. Jack wasn't even sure what a Gala was. He hovered through the house silently, careful not to touch the walls, or the floors, or anything for that matter. Lest he wanted the house to become an igloo.

As they passed the kitchen, Jack was side-tracked, slowing in his glide as he craned his neck back to peek into the room. Sophie's mother and father were side-by-side, taking out the groceries and putting them where they belonged. Pots and Pans needed to cook dinner were already assorted on the stove, waiting to be used. The mother looked sideways over at her husband, looking a little troubled now that Sophie had fled to her room. "How is he?" She asked, putting a small box of Instant Chicken Fried Rice down on the counter. "Did his fever go down any while I was gone?"

The father shook his head, giving a small shrug. "It's the same as it was before, I'd guess." He said. "He's asleep, though."

"Still?" Their mom asked, disbelief edging her tone. "He was asleep when I left."

Once again, the dad shrugged. "Kids sleep when they're sick." He offered.

The mom said, starting to nod a little reluctantly. "I guess." She mumbled, a little skeptical. "But I didn't know they slept _that _much. He normally can't even sit still for a minute. Why can't he be this calm all the time?"

The dad grinned, "Maybe we should let him get sick more often."

Jack's eyes narrowed at their odd conversation. He turned, looking back down the hall where Sophie had hopped away into. There were three doors along the wall, each probably leading to a different room. He glanced back over at the mother and father, waiting for them to continue their conversation. But they had moved onto what else had happened in their day, the mother starting the probably-long rant about Sophie and the stores they had visited. Figuring that they wouldn't say anything else that was really important, Jack dashed after Sophie, finding her inside one of the open doors.

It was a rather large room, nearly filled to the brim with stuffed animals, coloring books, painting kits, you get the picture. The room was pink and fluffy, undeniably having to be her own room. There really wasn't much doubt to it. She was sitting in the middle of the place, introducing the Giraffe to all of the other toys she had, making them talk to one another. "We can have our own little party right here!" Sophie made the Elephant exclaim, deepening her voice to something she thought was an elephant, Jack guessed. Sophie made a high squeaking noise, making the Giraffe do a little wiggle. "Why that just sounds lovely!" She said, raising her voice so that it was a sharp soprano tone.

She caught Jack lingering on the borer of her door and her room. She straightened, a suddenly serious look settling in her eyes. She reached out, displaying the Giraffe as if it were in an auction. "It's a woman." She said, with all the world's certainty held in her eyes and voice. Jack blinked rapidly, putting his hands up almost like a surrender, giving a nervous smile. He'd had preferred it to be a boy, but it was Sophie's call, he guessed. Besides, she looked like she'd put a lot of thought into the decision. Sophie giggled, looking back down at her toys as she started to make them jump around together, humming an out-of-tune melody that Jack could have sworn was It's A Small World.

"Uh- hey. Sophie." Jack said, the girl looking up from her toys yet again as she turned back up at him. "I was thinking we should go check in on Jamie." He offered, the girl looking a little confused by the notion. "We might be able to make him feel a little bit better, wouldn't that be cool?"

But to his surprise, Sophie still looked a little put-out. "I dunno, Jack." She said, turning and picking up all her toys in one big scoop, turning and dumping them all into the toy box in the corner. She picked out her new Giraffe from the others, holding it tight to her chest. "I think he's asleep right now." She said, nearly quoting what Jack had heard in the kitchen. The Winter Sprite blinked, a little fazed by now. He couldn't put a finger on it, it was just something that he felt in his gut. But something was definitely wrong here. He turned, looking down the silent hall, to the other rooms that were shut off to him.

"Please, Sophie?" He asked, looking back at her. "I wanna see him. Just really fast."

Sophie hesitated a moment, going over and looking down towards the kitchen. Her mother and father's voices drifted over, still on the topic of everyday things. Not really anything important anymore. The blonde glanced over at Jack, giving him a small grin. "Okay." She whispered. "But we gotta be quiet, mommy told me not to wake him up." She slipped out from her room, turning and walking over to the room farthest down the hall. Jack glanced back down at the kitchen one last time before drifting after her silently. The last thing he wanted to do was get Sophie into some kind of trouble.

The girl stopped at the last room, leaning over and twisting the doorknob with a small click, creaking it open slowly. Jack lingered back, waiting until the girl edged into Jamie's room before he went after her. It was darkly-lit inside, only a small nightlight over in the far corner. And even that was on its last legs, flickering every so often. Jamie was asleep, curled up on his sides as his back faced to the two newcomers. He was silent, not even snoring a little in his sleep.

Sophie went over to his bedside, getting on her toes and poking him in the shoulder softly. "Jamie." She whispered, bringing her hand back as she waited for him to wake up. He didn't move, shifting a little bit so that he was farther away from her. Jack blinked, going over and hovering anxiously over the boy. Sophie reached out again, poking him a little harder this time. "Jamie!" She hissed, her whisper coming out more as a quiet scream. Jack winced at the sharp noise, but Jamie didn't even flick an eyelid at either of her calls.

But she didn't seem surprised. She just shrugged, slouching back in a resigned sort of state. "Told you." She said simply, looking back down at her Giraffe and making it wave its hoof up at her. "He likes to sleep, I guess." She mumbled, shrugging it off like it didn't matter all that much. But Jack kept his eyes trained on the boy fixedly, a frown permanent on his face as he looked with concern down to Jamie.

Raising his voice so that he was much louder than Sophie, Jack used the end of his staff to poke Jamie lightly. "Jamie." He said, pausing and waiting for the kid to open his eyes. Nothing. Sighing through his nose, Jack raised his voice. "Jamie!" He said, a yell by now. Sophie perked, putting her chin on the end of Jamie's bed as she watched the scene unfold. Amazingly, still nothing happened. Jamie couldn't sleep this hard, could he? Jack was practically yelling! Hesitating a moment, Jack reached down, putting his hand on Jamie's shoulder and squeezing it tighter than he normally did. A jolt of cold wind rushed out from his hand, smashing into Jamie's skin and making contact.

Jack jerked backwards, expecting the kid to finally come to his sense and bolt straight upright. After all, that was probably the equivalent to just going outside and randomly deciding to stick your hand deep into a snow bank. But amazingly, there was absolutely no reaction. Crossing his arms over his chest, Jack turned to look over at Sophie. "What kind of bug does he have? The Black Plague?" He demanded, a little put-out. Who doesn't wake up after being yelled at, poked at, and then frosted over to compile it all together? He was breathing, that much was more than certain. So why was the kid acting like he was dead to the world?

Sophie shrugged once again. "He just had a fever this morning. I dunno."

Jack wasn't assured. Jamie never slept this hard . Unless he had just finished running two laps around the entire nation of America, this was abnormal for him. That fact accompanied with the memory of the shadows lacing their way through the globe, Jack was on-edge. He turned, landing on the floor with a silent thud. He crouched down low to the ground, reaching over and putting his hand lightly to rest on the boy's forehead. Jamie let out a small mumble, the first thing that Jack had heard him do since he first got into the room. His eyebrows scrunched together sleepily, as if confused. He mumbled a few quick words, incoherent to the Winter Sprite. But he didn't open his eyes.

His forehead was burning. And that was saying something, considering that Jack's hand was so cold. Jack quickly took it back, eyebrows shooting up with surprise and concern. Sophie was slowly losing interest by now, eyes almost bored as she waited rather impatiently for Jack to be finished so that they could go and play together. He didn't know how long they've been in here, or whether or not Sophie's parents were wondering where she was by now. But the thoughts were jumbled in with much more pressing concerns. He did his best to push them to the back of his mind. "Jamie!" He said, raising his voice to a sharp yell. If their parents couldn't hear, what was the use in whispering?

The boy shuffled a moment, tossing restlessly. "…stop." He mumbled, words slurred together

Jack brightened. Was he talking to him? Or was he asleep still? It could be either one. Glancing over at Sophie for a heartbeat, he leaned forward, pressing his thumb down on Jamie's eyebrow and lifting as gently as he possibly could. He lifted up Jamie's eyelid, narrowing his blue eyes as he leaned forward, looking down at him carefully. It took him a moment to do so in the darkly-lit room, Jack almost having to go nose-to-nose with the sick kid to even see into it. When he realized that that was part of the problem.

When it finally dawned on him, Jack gasped sharply. He jerked his hand backwards as if burned as he staggered backwards, hitting his head against the wall in his clumsy haste. For a moment, he forgot Sophie was watching him, blue eyes filled with an urgent sense of panic as he looked at Jamie. "Jamie!?" He said nervously. Still no signal that the boy had heard. Usually when he looked at the boy, his eyes were soft and warm. But now they were as big as the moon, sheer terror replacing the affectionate feeling from before. Sophie immediately clamped her Giraffe tighter to herself, eyes growing round and scared as she took a baby step back.

"What's wrong?" She said shakily, still managing to whisper.

Jack looked over at her quickly, only just managing to tear his gaze away from her brother. What was it? Was it was just because it was so dark in here? That must be it. Nothing else, really. All fine, it's perfect. Calm down. His inner voice talked to him like he was a five-year-old that needed counseling. But he couldn't calm down. This wasn't some sort of coincidence, it was something much more. He needed to get to the others somehow. Could the two things be linked together, even? But how would he get them? It was always North that corralled them all together. It wasn't like everybody had magic-rainbow-machines to shoot up into the sky! _I don't even know what's going on. How do I describe it…_

Suddenly, an image of Tooth wormed its way into his head. Her assuring smile, her can-do attitude. "I just…wanted to let you know that you can tell me anything." She had said. "I know that there aren't a lot of…'sympathetic' people in our group." Her voice rang in his ears, the teen turning to look fixedly at Sophie, remembering her tooth in a flash. "Sophie." He said, a little bit more urgently than he would have wanted. "Your tooth."

The blonde stiffened, blinking rapidly. "What's wrong with it?" She asked.

_YOU'RE SCARING HER! WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM? STOP IT! _Jack winced as he screamed at himself, shaking his head to clear it as best he could. He forced himself not to look at Jamie, heart beating a million times a second as he put on a grin he hoped looked genuine. "We should put it under your pillow! Like…right now!" He said eagerly. Sophie looked a little surprised at the sudden turn of events, looking over at Jamie with an uncertain frown.

"…Right now?" She squeaked.

"Yeah!" Jack pushed himself forward, shooting out of Jamie's room and rocketing into Sophie's. He picked up her pillow in a clumsy state of urgency, the girl following him slowly. Her eyes were filled with confusion as she went forward timidly, like she was walking on eggshells. She poked her head into her room, forehead creased. "Come on!" Jack chirped, shifting uneasily. "Don't you want to catch the Tooth Fairy coming into your room?" He shook the pillow rapidly up and down. "This way we will!"

"…Don't I have to be asleep for her to come?" She asked.

Jack shrugged. "We can try." He offered weakly. "It could work."

Sophie looked a little doubtful, but went forward anyway. She took her tooth case out from her pocket, taking out the small thing gingerly before placing it neatly under her pillow. She threw a look over at Jack, as if waiting for an assurance she did something right. The Guardian opened his mouth to say something, when Sophie's mother called out from the kitchen, voice faint. "Sophie! Dinnertime!" The blonde started, perking brightly at the prospect of something to eat. Then she looked uncertain once more, staring quizzically over at Jack.

"Go ahead." The teen said, relief washing over him at the excuse for her to leave. "I'll wait here for ya."

She smiled, seeming to have gotten over the weird episode that had just played out. She turned, still carrying her Giraffe as she raced out into the hall. She sang the word 'Food' to the tune of 'Row Row Row Your Boat' which actually sounded pretty decent. Jack watched her go a moment, standing in the little girl's room alone. He crept out, catching sight of their mother going inside of Jamie's bedroom. Glancing around inconspicuously, he wove forward, poking his head around the doorway of the boy's room to see what she was doing.

She came to a stop beside Jamie, reaching down and giving his shoulder a light shake. "Jamie, Honey?" She prompted, tucking a lock of stray hair back behind his ear. "Jamie, Sweetie, can you wake up? It's time for dinner, hun. Are you hungry?" Her son shifted a little in his sleep, giving out a small whine in his sleep. The mom straightened, eyes widening a fraction, as if hurt. "Okay." She said, softer this time. "I'll save some for you, alright? I can reheat them later if you get hungry." No reply. She bent down, planting a small kiss on his forehead.

"I hope you feel better." She whispered.

Jack's eyes widened, something close to pity coming into his blue orbs. Why wouldn't Jaime wake up?

Before his mother could turn back around -like she would have seen him anyway- Jack went back into Sophie's room. Was there a sickness where you slept all the time? Where you wouldn't wake up no matter what anybody did? Jack turned, glancing back into the hallway. He closed his eyes as tightly as he could, reaching up and putting a hand on his heart. "Come on, Baby Tooth." He muttered fiercely under his breath. "I'm counting on you. Bring Tooth here, I don't know what's going on. It _has _to be linked together somehow. Just please get here soon…"

Minutes pass and nothing happens. Muffled sounds of conversation drift up from the kitchen, along with the clatter of forks and other silverware. Jack drifted aimlessly around the room, noticing things that didn't really matter. Like the little pictures that hung on the walls that Sophie painted, the way that she arranged her toys in a specific-looking order on her bed. The way that the floorboards looked like they had been colored on, or the way that the room was just messy enough to cope with. It was clean, but not spick-and-span. Not spotless. Or flawless. Or sparkling.

He was running out of ways to describe the room when suddenly something smacked against the window.

He started, fumbling in his relaxed glide around the room. He spun around, eyes clashing with the fairy that was floating outside the house. Tooth looked more than annoyed. She looked fit to kill, really. Baby Tooth was holding tightly to her hand, looking worn, as if she had dragged the bigger Fay all the way out here. Jack shot forward quickly, ripping open the window and sticking his head out at once. Tooth started, a scared squeak coming from her as the two became nose-to-nose with one another.

For a moment, she was silent, eyes wide as she looked at Frost. But then she shook herself, ducking away and creating a better distance between them. "Jack?" She asked, looking confused as she looked from Baby Tooth to the Sprite. "…I should have known." She said, looking pointedly at Baby Tooth. The miniscule hummingbird grinned toothily, not looking ashamed at all. Tooth put her hands on her hips, turning her glare over to Jack. "Alright." She said simply, voice sharp. "You must have a very good reason to drag me all the way out here when I'm so busy."

It sounded like she was doubtful. Which was granted. It was Jack, after all.

But his blue eyes were unnaturally serious. "I do." He said flatly. Tooth blinked, shoulders slumping as she tilted her head to the side. Her eyes slackened from tense and angry to more concern. In relation to the recent events that had taken place before now, she snapped to attention. But Jack shook his head. "I need the others." He said quickly. "I figured they'd listen to you better than they would for me if you backed me up on it. I…I think whatever we saw yesterday is starting to get worse."

Tooth's eyes widened. "What did you find?" She demanded, rushing forward. Jack stiffened, ducking out of the way a moment before she zipped through the window. Baby Tooth followed in more slowly, looking on with wide eyes as Tooth started rushing around the room. The Fairy tossed up toys and rugs, looking frantically for the thing that Jack was talking about. She talked in a rush, words blending together like they did when she was listing names of lost teeth. "Is it as bad as it seemed? Or is it nothing to worry about? Is it dangerous? Do we have to get the others? Of course we have to get them, what am I talking about? I don't see anything, is it hiding? Why can't I see anything? JACKICAN'TSEEANYTHING!" She whirled around quickly, eyes almost as wide as Jack's was. The boy hadn't noticed before now, but he had backed himself into the wall, arms raised slightly as Tooth continued to freak out. They held each other's eyes for a heartbeat before Tooth straightened, eyes sparkling suddenly. "Is that a tooth?" She asked, looking over at Sophie's pillow.

"Can we focus for a minute?" Jack asked dryly, shooting a glare over at her.

"Right. Sorry." Tooth mumbled, drooping at once. But she did shoot a look over to Baby Tooth, who flew down quickly to the pillow, disappearing underneath. Jack glanced over at her, but didn't try to stop her. That was their job, of course. Instead, he forced himself to concentrate on what was happening right now. He didn't know why he waited for Tooth instead of just flying out to North right away, but he didn't have time to stick on that thought just now.

Flying over, Jack grabbed Tooth's hand tightly, turning and dragging her out into the hall. The Fairy squeaked at the sudden movement, but after a heartbeat she let herself be yanked over into Jamie's room without too much complaint. "What's this about?" Tooth hissed, tensing as she heard the muffled conversation over in the kitchen. "Jack- can't you just tell me what's wrong?" Not _too _much complaint. But she _did_ complain.

Jack finally let go of her hand, shutting the door behind him as silently as he could. It still creaked on the way in, making the teen wince uncomfortably. Tooth watched him, more confused than anything, by now. Baby Tooth hadn't followed them, she must have been filling in for Tooth while she was busy. Or at least that was what Jack hoped she was doing. They didn't need any lights going out. Especially since things have gotten so weird. "It's Jamie." He said, not bothering to whisper anymore.

Tooth reacted just the way he thought she would. She grimaced, giving him a sharp look. "Jack!" She breathed, rose eyes flicking over to Jamie's sleeping form. "He's sleeping! Be a little quieter!"

"No-" Jack said in a hurry.

Tooth cut him off, flinging her arms into the air. "Can you please tell me what's going on!?"

"Tooth, _listen_!" Jack pleaded, shooting out and clamping his hand tightly over the girl's mouth. Tooth fumed silently at this, glaring daggers as she ducked away. "It's Jamie, something is wrong with him!" She started at the information, getting over her brief bout of irritation. She stepped away from Jack as she glanced over at Jamie. She flitted lightly into the air, brushing over so that she could look down at the sleeping child. Jack followed, closing his eyes a moment before doing so. He tried to collect his thoughts, trying to organize them. Which was hard to do, usually his thoughts were everywhere at every time. Just like the snow. You couldn't just get one without getting swamped with more.

"What's the matter with him?" Tooth murmured, making a move as if she were going to touch him. But she seemed to think better of it, tucking her hand back to her side as she gave a small sigh. She turned over to Jack, questions on her tongue. But before she could do anything, Jack went over to stand beside her. He gripped his staff a little tighter as he looked at Jamie again, biting his lower lip. But Tooth seemed willing enough to listen, it wasn't like she couldn't believe him. Especially since she was here to see it herself.

"He wont wake up." Jack managed, the words feeling like thorns as they came out of his mouth. "He's been asleep all day. His mom can't wake him up, Sophie can't wake him up…I even blasted him with wind as cold as the wind in the Artic and he didn't even budge."

But Tooth just looked confused. Again. "…What do you mean?" She asked bluntly. Jack responded only by nodding down to the boy almost invitingly. Tooth continued to stare at him a moment before reaching down to Jamie, giving his shoulder a light shake like Jack had done a while ago. "…Jamie?" She prompted, looking a little put-out, as if she didn't want to ruin the boy's sleep. But her expression worsened to a frown when he didn't move. She was about to do it again, when Jack shrugged her aside, leaning down and yelling right into the boy's ear.

"Jamie!" He shouted, Tooth clapping her hands over her ears with a grimace.

But she perked, blinking with a sudden flash of fear as Jamie didn't wake up. "…What's wrong with him?" She demanded, pink eyes pained as she looked to Jack for an answer. The Winter Sprite shook his head aimlessly, not having an answer for her. His blue eyes were saddened as he looked at her, and Tooth was struck by the amount of worry in the boy's face. Usually he was so laid-back. "…Do you think this has anything to do with the shadows we saw before?" Tooth asked softly.

"I dunno. I think so." Jack said. "I guess it depends on how much of this Sandy knows about it." His eyes flashed as he spoke, Tooth stiffening.

"You don't think Sandy would have done this, do you?" She demanded, voice almost accusing.

Jack opened his mouth to say something, then bit it back hastily. Sandman wouldn't put anybody under for this long, right? The most that kids slept in total was probably eight hours or less. If what Jack had gathered before was right, Jamie had been asleep way longer than that. And kids were never this heavy of sleepers. "…No." He finally managed to get out. Tooth relaxed slightly at this, but didn't let her whole guard down. "No." Jack repeated. "I think it's something much worse."

"How can you tell?" She prompted.

Jack side-stepped around her, ducking to avoid her wings so that he could stand in front of her, closer to Jamie's head. He crouched down low, chin almost touching the mattress of the bed. "Look." He mumbled, forgetting that he didn't need to be quiet. He repeated what he had done before, bracing himself this time as he winced inwardly. He pulled up gently, Tooth leaning down as her brow furrowed. Then she gasped sharply, eyes wide as she stumbled backwards. "You see?" Jack demanded. "We have to get to the others! Something bad is happening here! He's…he could be in danger…" He finished lamely, drawing a blank on what to say.

Tooth looked from Jamie to Jack, still looking a little bemused. She fisted and un-fisted her hands nervously. But then she nodded tensely, eyes narrowing. "Okay." She said, drawing herself up. "Let's go to North." She paused a moment, casting a look over to the sleeping child. "…Will he be okay?" She asked. Jack looked back at him, swallowing a lump in his throat.

"He'll be fine. We'll be quick." He said firmly, forcing himself to look away.

It was all going to be fine, this was nothing to worry about.

It _had _to be something they could fix early.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

Tooth and Jack shot through the winter air, heading for the North Pole. The town of Burgess slowly fell behind them, and along with it, Jamie and Sophie. Jack felt a tear in his chest at the thought of leaving them behind, especially when everything was so messed up like this. They could be in danger, and he was just leaving them to fend for themselves. All alone…what would he do if anything happened to them? Anything worse, that is. Jamie was just asleep right now, and there was that small little glimmer of hope that he was fine. That nothing was wrong. But what if it grew into something worse? And Jack wasn't there to try and shield them from the worst of it?

It was only then that he remembered the promise he had made to Sophie about waiting for her. It came back to him like a slap in the face. She'd be done with dinner by now, rushing back to into her room only to find it empty. …She'd be disappointed.

For a minute, he considered doubling back. Going back to Burgess and staying with them. That was all they needed, he could protect them himself from…whatever this thing was that was causing all this. But he knew it wouldn't be that simple. It probably couldn't be that simple, just like Bunny had said. And that was the worst part, he guessed. Bunny had been right for once.

Because Jamie couldn't wake up.

And when Jack looked into Jamie's eyes, all he could see was shadows.

Just like the ones that had been on the globe.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

A/N: I hope you like this chapter! And I hope I get even more reviews for this one! ^^

_If this chapter makes you have a few questions in your head, do not panic~! It's meant that way~! So just hang tight ;)_

_More reviews make faster updates! I wanna hear from all of you before I update with the next chapter! Thank you so much to those that ARE reviewing, I REALLY appreciate it! ;D And most of your reviews are so detailed too! It really helps me to know if I need to fix anything or whatnot ^^_


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you once more for the reviews! I hope last chapter caught your attention, cause we're in for a bumpy ride~!

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

It took way too long to get to North's Place. If Jack were by himself, he would have been there in less than a minute. He would have flown so fast the his hair would be permanently slicked backwards, even if he stopped flying. The image of Jamie's eyes had etched themselves deep into his brain, making the teen have an expression between a wince and grimace the whole way there. The fact that he had left Jamie and Sophie to…what was going on, was enough to make him smack himself in the face. He felt resentment and something close to shame burning underneath his skin as he and Tooth made for the Workshop. He was disappointed in himself. Here a problem comes and shows itself -whether it had to do with the shadows or not- and he ran for help right at the sight of it. Even if it proves to be not as bad as one would think -which he regretfully doubted- he wouldn't be able to fix it. Not without running for help.

He wasn't even there to protect the kids if whatever was causing the shadows was lurking around their home. The thought made Jack's eyes widen, glancing over to the moon. Or, what was left of the moon, really. It was starting to set, and they had only made it so far, they were running out of time. A could-be-problem like this wasn't something to brush off. _Especially _with the kids that were involved. He increased his speed, shooting forward desperately as he strained for a sight of North's large peaked roofs on the horizon. All he saw was snow, though.

"Jack! Wait! Stop!" The Winter Sprite cursed thickly under his breath, azure eyes flaring with annoyance before he reluctantly came to a halt. Tooth puffed for breath behind him, looking frazzled as her little hummingbird assistants tried to catch up to the two. "I know you can go really fast and all, but my hummingbirds can't!" Jack didn't reply, but crossed his arms tightly over his chest, shooting Tooth a look that conveyed whatever he wasn't saying.

A perfect demonstration of what was making them go so slow.

Jack was all for the Tooth Business. I mean- who wouldn't be? It sheltered the precious memories of kids, gave them money, and also gave kids an actual reason to go to bed early at night. It was like all the other holidays: it was something that was both important and fun. But there was a different side to the Teeth-Gathering that made it not so great And that was the fact that it was a 24/7 kind of job. Every other second a kid lost a tooth and fell asleep, which meant Tooth always had something crowding on her plate. And today was no exception either.

This was near the fortieth time they've stopped since they came from Jamie's house, and it was making them as slow as a snail who had just finished swimming through a vat of molasses. They couldn't go even a few miles until Tooth would have to be stopped by one of her hummingbirds, having to pause and dish out names of teeth that had fallen out of kids' mouths from around the world. He knew that he would have already been there if not for Tooth, but he held his tongue. He didn't say anything against her, no matter how much he wished he could. It wasn't really his place to do anything but fume silently off to the side.

Tooth winced slightly, as if she could tell that she was really starting to push it. Jack didn't get this worried easily; she was torturing him by lagging behind. That, accompanied with the threatening sense of danger hanging over them, Tooth had to resolve her problem soon. She took a short breath, spinning back to face her little fairies that had gathered behind her anxiously. They searched her eyes nervously, waiting for orders that they were sure were piling up. And they were. But, just this once, Tooth would have to improvise. Teeth weren't the whole problem here, and she'd have to face that.

"Baby Tooth." She called firmly, the little Fay swooping forward at once. "I'm putting you in charge." She said, ignoring the hummingbird's sharp gasp. "Jack and I have _important _Guardian jobs to do," She said, stressing the word. "and I can't be interrupted anymore. At least not for tonight." Her eyes flickered over to Jack, who was shifting impatiently in midair. She gave a small sigh, looking down and smiling at her little baby fairy. "You'll be fine, I'm sure." She assured her. "I'll be back soon, okay? I'm sure you'll be able to 'man the fort' until I get back. We just have to rush over to North's, I'll be there if you run into any problems."

Baby Tooth pouted, crossing her arms over her chest and sticking out her lower lip. Her words were obvious even if she didn't speak. 'I never said I wanted to run this operation!' Tooth leaned over, giving her a brisk little pat on the head with a grin. "You'll be fine." Tooth said. "I trust you." She paused, straightening as a sudden thought slammed into her. "And make sure that there are Fairies guarding the castle." She added a little uncomfortably. "I'm not sure what's at work here, just make sure that all the teeth are secure before you go off and collect any more."

Baby Tooth looked a little bemused by this new piece of information, but she wrung her hands together, giving a small nod of affirmation. Tooth smiled once more, showing off her perfectly-white grin. "I know you'll be fine! You'll be able to find the teeth on your own." She looked over at Jack again, sighing softly at his ever-more-irritated expression. "I'm coming. I'm coming." She threw a stern glance back at her fays, who saluted to her in response. She flitted back over to Jack, looking flustered by now. "They'll never be able to get as much work done on their own." She mumbled to herself, watching as one by one they turned and departed back the way they had come.

"I'm sure they'll be fine." Jack said, voice a little thinner than it normally was. Tooth bristled, feathers fluffing up at her sides at his tone. Her jaw locked backwards, she was ready to snap out a sharp retort back to him. But the boy suddenly turned, eyes big pools of impatience and misery. "Tooth, can we _please_ hurry?" He asked, stressing the word. "We're taking way too long, we have to get to North's house _soon_."

Tooth's rebuke melted on her tongue at this new look, the Fairy blinking rapidly as she got caught off-guard. She blanched a moment, unable to say much of anything. Jack was never this upset, he must think that something was really wrong here. Which couldn't be too far from the truth. Then she felt a wave of guilt wash over her. Jack was so worried, and here she was, slowing them down. Jack had put his trust in her first, and so far, she wasn't doing such a good job in fulfilling the task. "Alright." She said, more subdued this time. "I'm sorry.

"…And Jack?"

The winter Sprite flashed her a withering look.

But Tooth offered him a small smile. "It'll be okay. I promise."

Jack opened his mouth to say something, but then ducked his head, looking away. He rubbed the back of his neck for a heartbeat, looking unsure. But then he recovered, giving an aimless shrug as a reply. "We just have to get to North's." He replied simply, not saying anything else before he shot forward, leaving Tooth in the dust almost immediately. The Fairy sighed sadly, glancing back to where her helpers had gone before she followed the Winter Spirit.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

Jack should have gone through the window he had used before to enter the Workshop. But he was flying so fast, he wasn't thinking. The very first open window he saw, he barreled right through it, Tooth streaking inside right behind him. He'd never been in the room that he flew in to, and that made sense. Right when he entered the building, he smacked flush against a towering mountain of gifts. Legos stabbed him in the face, a Yoyo's string tangled itself around his arm, and a baby doll started screaming on impact. Jack slipped off the mound, slamming into the ground with a painful smack.

Tooth was smarter. She screeched to a halt right before she could smash into a Painter's Easel. She flew down hurriedly to Jack, worry creasing her face as she grabbed his hand, helping to pull him up. "Are you alright?" She asked in a huff, hoisting him to his feet.

Jack rubbed his forehead roughly, wincing as he stumbled a little. "I'm fine." He growled through his teeth. Letting his hand fall to his side, he perked suddenly. "…Whoa…" He mumbled. The entire room was packed. Like…literally…packed. Wall-to-wall, the place was filled with toys and clothes that hadn't been wrapped. An assortment of everything was there, really. It was like a toy store had been blown up and exploded over every inch of the room. "Why hasn't North wrapped all these yet?" Jack demanded, glancing out the window. "Christmas is…tomorrow."

Tooth eyed the massive piles around them. "These are all the rejected toys and gifts." She explained. "Things that either the kids lost interest in before Christmas, or their parents got it for them already. North can't use them if the kids don't want them, so he just puts them in here." She shrugged. "I guess he empties the room out every year after Christmas. Usually it doesn't stay long."

Jack eyed the unused presents. All the clothes, the toys, the cooking supplies and other necessities. He had no idea what North would do with them if they weren't wanted, there was way too much stuff to just drop off at the dump. But there were more pressing matters at hand without them worrying about what was going to happen to a few lost presents. "We have to find North." Jack said shortly, fisting his hands tightly at his sides. Tooth mumbled a small agreement, wings flying open at her sides as she climbed through the air. Jack followed suit, nervously skirting across breakable items (which were stacked right on the top of the piles, obviously).

It took them probably a total of seven minutes to be able to get out of that stupid room. The piles and piles of stuff made it near impossible to NOT knock things over. And Tooth persisted in going back and fixing whatever she or Jack had made take a plunge to the ground. When they finally made it to the door, they were both out of breath, panting as they ripped the door open and toppled over to the other side, slamming it shut behind them. "That was stupid." Jack puffed, running a hand through his unkempt hair.

Tooth sighed tiredly, "I've been flying way too much today." She gasped.

Jack didn't reply, narrowing his eyes as he pushed himself off from the door. He scanned the area, straining for a glimpse of North or any other Guardians. After all, they might have found something wrong too; they might have beaten him here already. The idea gave him a little bit of hope. After all, him and Tooth took _way _too long in getting from Burgess to the Workshop. But he deflated visibly as nothing showed, muttering a curse underneath his breath as he stuffed his hands bad-temperedly into his hoodie pocket. "Where's North?" He grumbled angrily, voice laced with impatience. It was never like Jack to be a worry-wart. He hated people that were worry-warts. They were too annoying to be around for more than five minutes.

And yet, here he was. He saw something, freaked out, grabbed up one of his friends, and streaked away a hundred miles an hour to fire out his problems to the others.

And what did he get for it?

A faceplant into Legos, that's what he got for it.

"He's probably busy right now." Tooth offered, getting up to her feet. She turned, glancing over at the humongous clock mounted on the wall. "…He has to leave soon. Christmas is less than 24 hours away. Maybe we're too late…" She flashed a glance over at Jack, wincing slightly. The boy was still scanning the crowd. But the only people in here besides them were the Yetis, and they were way too busy to even stop to look over at them. They brushed by the pair without a second thought, wrapping last-minute presents, juggling engine fuel, everything needed for the operation tonight. "…Maybe we should come back later." Tooth said, voice subdued.

Jack straightened suddenly, looking as if Tooth had just slapped him across the face. He turned to look at her, blue eyes wide with something close to shock. "…Come back later?" He repeated, the words foreign to him. "Why would we do that!?" He made it sound like she had just suggesting morphing into a piece of fruit and rolling off a nearby cliff. "Jamie could be in _serious _trouble, Tooth! And you're just telling me that we're not going to do anything just because it'd be too much of a hassle to try and find North?" He shot a glare over at her. "I thought you were with me on this!" He said, sounding exasperated.

"I am, Jack! I am!" The Fairy said in a rush. "But…what if we're getting ahead of ourselves? Maybe he was just really tired! And the room was really dark, Jack. It could have been the lighting…" The more she tried to cover it up from Jack, the angrier he seemed to get. "Maybe we should just go a little slower. Try and figure this out without making all the others panicked."

"We wont _get _anywhere without anybody else." Jack said thinly.

"Jack, why are you acting so weird?" Tooth demanded, voice getting higher. "This isn't like you!"

Jack shook his head tensely, turning away from Tooth with a frustrated groan. In the way far back of his mind, he could hear his conscience screaming at him. Telling him to not be so stupid, to listen to Tooth and see reason. It grumbled at him, telling him to snap out of whatever kind of funk he had gotten himself tangled up in. But his heart pounded the words to dust, disappointment shooting off from it in waves, making Jack's chest tighten almost painfully. The two were fighting against one another, tearing Jack between them like he was a tug-of-war rope.

_Which one will you listen to!? _They seemed to be demanding.

_Listen to reason! Slow down, you can do it! Tooth knows what she's talking about!_

_It's Jamie! Jamie _and _Sophie! They're in trouble! Move! You're losing time! They could be in serious danger right now!_

"…Jack?" Tooth prompted, making a move to reach out and touch his shoulder.

Jack shook his throbbing head, trying to clear it as best he could. He looked back at Tooth, debating mentally. She looked more than worried by now as she looked at him. Her pink eyes shone with concern, her mouth slightly open, as if she was trying to find the words to comfort him. She's worried. But more for him, not for Jamie. Jack grounded his teeth together tightly, whipping back around and shooting forward at once, hair slicking back to his head immediately. Tooth let out a surprised squeak, eyes wide as she looked after him.

He weaved quickly through the Workshop, twisting and skirting Yetis like there was nothing to it. His blue eyes searched for the massive globe. It couldn't be that hard to miss, could it? He was dimly aware of Tooth trying to catch up to him, calling out his name in confusion and panic. But he ignored her rudely, blind to everything else but the need to rally the others together. He didn't even blink an eye when he rocketed a millimeter away from a Yeti, causing him to drop the stack of presents he was hauling. The monster groaned loudly, growling furiously after Jack with words that probably weren't too flattering.

Jack veered sharply to the right, a ninety-degree turn that almost made his head spin. He'd made it to the Globe. By some sort of miracle, the Yetis hadn't stopped him yet. Either they were too busy to do so, or they couldn't throw him out anymore now that he was Guardian. Whichever one it was, Jack was grateful for it. If he got stopped, he didn't know what he would do. But this part was a little bit more tricky. He came to an abrupt halt, using his hands to stop himself as he skidded against North's desk. He hissed as pain lanced up his wrists, but he pushed it away, looking up at the Globe with wide eyes.

Tooth finally joined him, gasping sharply as she held her side. "Come on, Jack!" She groaned. "Can't we just-" Jack leaned over slowly, putting his hand underneath her chin and pushing up slightly. Tooth turned beet red at this, ready to shoot over a sharp rebuke to him, when suddenly she stopped. She looked up at the Globe, eyes widening a fraction as she shut her mouth with a snap. Jack let his hand fall back to the desk with a noisy clatter, completely silent. "…What is it?" Tooth asked softly, going up and putting her hands over her heart worriedly.

"I have no idea." Jack said tightly, speaking through his teeth. "But we are going to find out."

The shadows had moved. Whether or not North was just too busy to notice or what, they had. They'd gotten thicker. More prominent. Before, you had to stare at it a moment before even noticing the shadows. This time they were much thicker. They weaved around the land with more speed, as if livening up a bit. They reached farther across, nearly an inch or two across. If it had grown this much from just a day…Jack tried not to think about it, swallowing back the bad taste in his mouth.

"What do we do?" Tooth asked hurriedly, looking around for North.

Jack looked over at the lever that was on the tabletop, narrowing his eyes slightly at the sight of it. This was what North used to call all the Guardians together, was Jack in the right to use it himself? It would certainly get North's attention, as well as Bunny's and Sandy's. It would be the only way to get everybody together without wasting more time. Blue eyes flashing up to Globe once more, Jack's eyes hardened. It didn't matter if North got cross with them for using what wasn't theirs. "This is much bigger than that." Jack growled.

Tooth seemed to understand what he was talking about. She gave a small nod to him in assent.

The Winter Spirit leaned over, locking his fist tightly around the handle, knuckles bleaching themselves white. He hesitated a moment, eyes going back up to the Globe. Then he twisted sharply to the side, slamming his hand down as hard as he could.

And outside the window, a million shades of color spilled across the sky.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

Jack stood up from the chair with a squeak, blue eyes flashing. "We have to talk." He said stiffly.

"Oh, really?" Bunnymund growled where he slumped in a chair. "Never would have guessed."

"Please be quiet, Bunny." Tooth sighed listlessly.

Sandman look agitated where he sat, images of sleeping kids and To-Do lists flashing over his head. Tooth flashed him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Sandy." She said, voice not as sharp as it had been for Bunnymund. "But we wouldn't interrupt any of you if it weren't important." She lingered for a heartbeat on the word 'we' as if reminding them that it wasn't just Jack's fault. He gave her a small grin of gratitude, and maybe a little guilt. He'd been sharp with her before, he knew that. But Tooth seemed to have forgotten as she stood next to him.

And Tooth looked to North as well, voice getting a little softer. "It's very important. We wouldn't use your communication device if it wasn't." She said.

North look a little _bit_ more than angry. His eyebrows were creased together so much, it looked like he had a unibrow. His fingers drummed a tune on the table that sounded suspiciously like a death march, eyes flickering over to the clock every other second. It was obvious he was busy, and Jack would have felt bad under any other circumstance. But not in this one. Jack started to speak without waiting for any other distractions.

"It's the Globe. And a few other things." Jack said. He expected a few interjections at this, but he got none. Not even from Bunnymund.

So he went on. He started all the way back to waiting in the hall for Sophie, and how he had first heard that Jamie was ill. He skipped over things that didn't matter like the Giraffe stuffed animal and the visit to the stores. But he made sure to cover the fact that Jamie wouldn't wake up, and the weird sort of light in his eyes. As Jack talked about it, his eyes couldn't help but stray over to where Sandy sat. He searched for something that signaled guilt or maybe a flash of recognition. But there was nothing.

Jack shook his head mentally. Of course there would be nothing, Sandy would never do anything like that.

Finally, he closed with the new Globe discovery. North look surprised by this, shaken out of his irritated state at the new news. Obviously he hadn't noticed it. Granted, he was really busy with Christmas less than a few hours away. But to completely let the situation of the Shadows slip his mind so easily? Jack was a little miffed at this. But he concluded his story without pausing any more than he had already, stepping back from the table as if leaving the evidence there. He stuffed his hands into his hoodie, staring forward almost emptily.

He hadn't noticed how much he was worried about it. About Jamie. He'd been so worried with getting to the Workshop, finding the others, and telling them what happened. Now that the entire room was silent, and now that Jack was out of thing to distract himself with, he could feel the way that his chest seemed to cave in. Just a few days ago, he, Jamie, and Sophie had been playing Ring-a-Round-the-Rosie on the ice, slipping and laughing together in the forest. Now Jamie wouldn't wake up, and Sophie was probably wondering why he had left so suddenly. How had it all gone so wrong?

"This is bad." Bunnymund said, being first to break the silence.

"Good job, Sherlock." Jack muttered thickly under his breath.

But if Bunny heard, he gave no heed. The Easter Bunny turned to Sandy, Jack freezing as the rabbit voiced the thoughts that had been running through his own head. "The kid wont wake up?" He demanded, Sandy jumping as he was addressed. "Did you know about this, Mate?" Jack's interest piqued, the Winter Spirit glancing over to the pair as he waited for Sandy's answer. But the Guardian just threw his hands out in front of him in surrender, a large question mark shimmering to life above his head.

Despite the fact that Sandy's name had been cleared, Jack closed his eyes, letting out a sad sigh. Their first lead had just been cancelled out. And they probably didn't even have any others.

Tooth spoke up where she stood, wringing her hands together anxiously. "We have to decide what to do." She pressed. "The shadows are linked somehow, even though we don't know the whole story yet. I'm worried about what this could mean for Jamie." She paused a moment, flashing a saddened look over to Jack. "…and for others." She added. "Have any of you seen anything that could signal something like this going wrong?"

But they all shook their heads.

"Nothing?" Jack pressed, eyes wide. Nobody said anything. "Well…we have to figure out _something_! W-We can't just let Jamie sleep forever! Something is wrong with him, I know it! He's in danger, and we're the only people that can help him! No doctor is going to know that he could be trapped by shadows, they don't have antibiotics for that! We can't just give up before we even start trying! We're his only hope."

"We don't know for sure anything _is_ happening." Bunny said, Jack whirling around and giving him a freezing glare. But Bunny ignored it rudely, which was sort of hard to do. When the Spirit of the Winter gives you a 'freezing' glare, it's kind of off-putting. But he went completely ignored. "We said that we would meet again when we found _evidence_." He looked over at Jack. "There's a key word somewhere in that sentence."

Jack tightened his fist on his staff, face turning a steamed color of pink. "Evidence?" Jack repeated. "You're saying we can't do anything because of a lack of _evidence_?" His voice was raising in octaves, and he would have been embarrassed if he weren't so angry. The others were looking at him with wide eyes, even Bunny looked a little caught off-guard. But Jack didn't care. He slammed his staff down against the ground as hard as he could, frost sparking off the ground like fire. "The shadows are enough! It's Pitch! I _know _it is!"

"Jack…" Tooth tried.

He ignored her. "And even if it wasn't, it wouldn't matter! Guardians are supposed to protect kids! And here we have two that could very well be in real danger! And you all are sitting here because we have _no evidence_!" He made a noise between a scoff and a groan. "Not to mention that these are the kids that helped us defeat Pitch the first time! Without them, you would all be gone right now! Nothing left! They helped us, and this is how we're going to repay them?" He scrunched up his nose. "Some Guardians you all are."

"Hey." Bunny got up from the table, eyes burning with angry fire. "You have no idea how this works. You've been a Guardian for what? A few months? You've got no right to-"

"At least I'm trying to do something!" Jack exploded.

"You'll get yourself killed." Bunny growled. "If you keep doing this and wont look where you leap, then you'll have a real problem soon enough."

Jack's eyes flashed. "I'd rather do that then just sit around knowing I'm making a huge mistake."

"Well we _aren't _making a mistake." Bunny snarled.

"Because you're too stupid to see what's right in front of you!" Jack screamed.

"Enough!" North finally spoke, getting up quickly as he slammed his fist down on the table. Both Jack and Bunny jumped, turning around quickly to face the bigger man. He looked from Jack to Bunny, eyes sharp as flint. "It is much too soon to do anything." He finally said, Bunnymund throwing a pointed look over at Jack, who was busy seething inwardly. North looked over to Jack with a small nod. "What Jack says is true." He gave. "This is very troubling. But I have much to do. When Christmas is over, we will meet again, and we will figure out something to do. But we do not need any more fighting or rash decisions." He fixed Jack with a stern look as he said this, the teen looking away roughly. "With whatever is going on, we do not need to be fighting. That will just cause more problems."

North glanced up to the clock once more. "I have to go. Everyone else must do so too. Each of you keep a sharp look-out for anything. We know something is wrong now." He turned to Jack, eyes misting over slightly. "I trust you will look after Jamie and Sophie?" He prompted. The white-haired boy responded only by holding his gaze defiantly. North held it a heartbeat before sighing heavily. "We will get back to this." He assured them. "Jack speaks the truth. We would not be true Guardians if we left this alone. Once things settle, we shall look more into it."

And with that North got to his feet, going out the door and closing it behind him.

"Well then." Bunnymund sniffed. "I'll see you later, Mates." He turned, eyeing Jack and looking him up and down. "Don't do anything _too_ stupid, won't you?"

Jack glowered over at him, turning away after a moment. Bunnymund rolled his eyes, taping his foot against the ground and diving through the hole that led back to his Burrow. Sandy sat there a moment, frowning to himself. An ellipsis appeared above his head, as if he were searching for something say. But he finally blew out a gusty sigh, turning to a mound of sand and being blown away by an invisible wind. Pretty soon it was just Tooth and Jack again.

"…You know, they aren't ignoring you." Tooth said, voice almost a whisper. "They never would. Even though they might not show it…kids' safety is our main priority. That and happiness." She paused. "North just has a lot to do now. I'm sure tomorrow he'll call us all together again. And we will do something. We'll help Jamie."

Jack shrugged listlessly.

Tooth sighed. "I'm sorry, Jack."

He closed his eyes tightly, fist shaking as he held his staff close to him. He thought of something to say. His conscience gave him lines. A script he had to follow. _I know they're going everything they can. There's no reason for me to be upset like this. I'm overreacting. It'll all be okay. Don't worry about me. _But once again, he did not listen to it. His vision blurred in front of him. Whether it was because he was scared for Jamie, or he was being ignored, he couldn't tell. He reached up, rubbing his eyes roughly with his sleeve and hoping she didn't notice.

"I have to get back to Jamie." He choked out.

"…Be safe." Tooth murmured.

Jack whirled around, eyes blazing angrily. "I'm not five!" He yelled sharply, Tooth jumping away from him with a startled look. He blinked rapidly, gasping sharply as he took an unsteady step backwards. "Oh…" He whispered, reaching up and holding the side of his head. "I'm so sorry, Tooth! I-I didn't-"

"It's alright." Tooth said. "Go take care of Jamie. Nobody else could do it better than you."

_I'm doing a pretty lousy job so far, _he thought. But he managed a smile. "I'll try to keep up the good work." He said, the words coming out a little sharper than he intended them to. But Tooth smiled back, raising her hand and giving a small little wave. The Sprite turned, going over to the door and opening it with a small creak. He glanced back over to her, blue eyes flashing. "Sorry…about everything." He offered. "Thank you for helping me. It…means a lot for somebody to have my back."

"That's what I'm here for." Tooth said.

The memory of the words slapped Jack in the face, and he felt heat sting his eyes once more. He shook his head slightly, turning around and shutting the door behind him without another word. And even when he was up in the air making for Burgess, the haunting words rang in his head like an echo.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

A/N: **Please…please, forgive me…**

**But I wont be home again.**

**Maybe someday you'll look up…**

**And barely conscious, you'll say to no one:**

"**Isn't something missing?"**

**Isn't someone missing me…?**

Missing - Evanescence

That song helped me establish most of this story. If you go and listen to the whole song, you might be able to make inferences about what might happen later in the story.

I've used a lot of songs in thinking of this story ^^

And Jack is supposed to be a little OOC in this chapter lol

Remember that room. It'll be important o-o


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: We've made it to thirty! ;D

Thank you to everyone who is reviewing~! I love you all.

Except for you.

You know who you are….. O-o

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

Snow fell from the sky in a lazy pattern. The usual happy swirls and excited gusts of winds were not accompanying the little snowflakes. Instead, the flakes just dropped sullenly to the ground, the air completely still and making everything else seem muffled. It wasn't the usual happy winter day that was normally brought to Burgess, that much was for sure. But the weather outside didn't seem to affect the people in their homes.

Jack had watched as hundreds of kids woke up in the morning screaming with delight and surprise. The atmosphere outside melted away (if you will) as soon as the first child opened their eyes from their sleep. It was Christmas Day, and things seemed to be in full swing. Kids raced downstairs, tripping over themselves and shoving their siblings out of the way so that they could be first to see what North had left for them. Stockings were rifled through, and presents were ripped open. It was almost enough to make Jack think that nothing had happened. That everything was fine, and he'd just dreamed everything else that had gone on.

But he knew better.

The boy sat on the windowsill of the house, peering inside with saddened blue eyes. The place was decked out for Christmas, a large Christmas Tree sitting in the corner of the room, adorned with shining ornaments. Underneath the tree, a million presents crammed for room, promising a lot of wanted gifts underneath the wrapping paper. The half-eaten cookies marked North's presence there, along with the empty glass that had once held milk. Jack rolled his eyes. How the man could eat every single cookie and drink every single glass of milk in the houses he stopped at was beyond him. How many houses were there in the world? Too many. North needed to cut back.

A nice carrot would be a good piece of food to lay out for him next year.

Jack perked as Sophie padded into the room, rubbing sleep out of her eyes with a groggy-looking expression. The Winter Spirit blinked, frowning at her dejected expression. It was _never _like Sophie to be upset; usually it took a lot for her to become so sad. Not to mention the date. For Sophie to be this depressed on Christmas Day, something was wrong. She didn't even bat an eye when she saw Jack. Tilting his head, Jack leaned close to the window, pressing his ear flush against the freezing glass in an effort to hear more clearly.

"Where's Jamie?" Sophie asked, words slurred together with tiredness.

Her mother and father followed closely behind, Jack's gaze hardening as he saw the darkly-colored circles underneath both of their eyes. "He's going to sleep a little bit more, it's much too early for him to get up." Her mother said, saving Sophie's father the worry of coming up with an answer. She gave Sophie a large smile, but Jack could see the waver in her supposed-cheerfulness. "He said that we could start without him." Gasping excitedly, she turned, steering Sophie away from the direction of Jamie's room and spinning her around to her presents. "Look, Sweetie! All these presents are here with your name on them! Why don't you go on ahead and see what Santa left you?"

Sophie blinked, looking over her shoulder to the hall that lead to her brother's room. She seemed conflicted for a moment. Open presents now, or go and see Jamie? It was then that she really noticed Jack's being there, turning and looking at him with a face full of confusion. They locked gazes for a heartbeat, and Jack could see that she too had large bags underneath her eyes.

He felt like he had missed something vital by going to North's last night. He'd been so preoccupied with whatever was going on with Jamie that he forgot to make it snow in several places. It took him longer than he thought to cross off the states and towns from his check-list on the way back to their house. He'd gotten here only a mere hour ago, he wasn't able to keep watch over the house at night like he had planned to. And now, it seemed like he had missed something huge. The worry that shown itself in Sophie's eyes, who was never all that worried about anything most of the time, was enough to scare him even more.

But there was also fear in Sophie's eyes. She was nervous. It didn't matter that Jack wasn't for sure on what it was exactly that was getting to her. North's words rang in his head: _When Christmas is over, we will meet again, and we will figure out something to do. But no more fighting or rash decisions. _He'd looked at Jack specifically when he'd spoken. Which made sense; Jack was most likely to be the one who ruined everything. As usual. He shook his head to clear it of such stupid thoughts.

Sophie's mother frowned, following her daughter's gaze as her forehead creased. Jack grinned down at Sophie, hoping that he did a good enough job of looking eager. He gestured over to the mounds of presents with her name on them, giving a lop-sided grin as he offered her a thumb's-up. And just to make sure that she would feel better, Jack gave an exaggerated nod. It was like saying: "Yeah, I think I know what's in there. Forget that you and your brother might be in danger, I'm pretty sure that box has an American Girl Doll in it."

She brightened at once. After all, to her, Jack knew everything. If he told her it was going to be alright, it was going to be fine. The thought made him wince mentally. But nevertheless, Sophie followed his advice, diving underneath the tree with a happy squeal. Her moods changed as fast as Jack could fly. Which meant that they changed a _lot _faster than they should. But this time it seemed to have served in her favor. The little girl arranged so that her Giraffe was sitting upright, watching her open her gifts with the air of eagerness that only Christmas could conjure.

She opened three presents by the time that Jack lost interest. Watching her open a new Wii game, new blankets, and a new pillow, Jack was momentarily side-tracked. He'd forgotten about Jamie, falling for the same trick of Christmas that had been pulled on Sophie. He shook his head to clear it, turning and looking up at the chimney on the roof, a small frown pulling the edges of his lips down. He flipped gracefully off from the windowsill, shooting up and angling himself so that he could squeeze through the chimney.

Thankfully, there was no fire in the hearth. That would have caused an issue, probably. The Winter Sprite was cramped in the small space, grimacing as he shoved his way between the two bricks walls. It took him forever. If he couldn't fit down a chimney, how did a big guy like North manage every Christmas? This was torture! And what did he do when there was a fire underneath? He got stuck halfway through, having to call the winds with an irritated frown to help push him down. But he finally popped out, covered in muck and grime.

He shimmied out from the hearth and breathed out a small puff of relief. His clothes were splotched with ash and debris, the boy making a disgusted noise as he patted himself down quickly. The mess got all over his hands, but soon enough his sweatshirt only had a few smudges of soot on them. He made a mental note to roll in some snow when he next had the chance. His noise made himself known to Sophie, the girl starting as she looked up from her new Easy Bake Oven she had just unwrapped. Her eyes gleamed like twin Christmas lights as they landed on his dirty form. "Jack!" She called out, voice squeaking cutely. She grinned her gap-toothed grin, and for the first time Jack wondered what Tooth had left for her in their exchange. If she had left anything at all.

"What was that, honey?" Her mother called out from the kitchen. Jack turned her direction, an aroma of waffles immediately connecting with his nose. The noise of scraping cooking utensils and sizzling bacon started to fill the air, but Sophie's mother peeked out from around the wall, eyes flashing. "Is somebody in here?" She asked, as if she couldn't believe she had missed the sound of the doorbell. Sophie's father was sitting on the couch, watching his daughter open up her presents. He opened his mouth to answer her, but his little girl beat him to it.

"Jack Frost!" She chirped out happily, poking her Easy Bake Oven as if that would make it magically come out from its box.

Her mother smiled softly, shaking her head aimlessly. It was as if she were saying: _I can't wait to tell you about this when you're older. You'll be so embarrassed_. "Ah. I see." She said, as if that cleared everything up. "You and Jamie with your little Jack Frost…" She sighed contently, turning and looking curiously out of the window. "Looks like he brought us a little snow, hmm? Just a little bit of flurries though."

"Yeah." Sophie said, almost absent-mindedly. "He's worried."

"Worried?" Her mother echoed, looking a little unnerved at this. She looked back at Sophie, a crease in her forehead. "Why would he-" She broke off, realizing that Sophie had long since forgotten the subject. She was delving into the stash once more, trying to find another box with her name on it. Her mother and father exchanged secret looks, her mother giving a small shrug. The father sighed underneath his breath, pushing himself up to his feet and smacking his hands together in a loud clap.

"Let's turn the thermostat up, shall we?" He prompted. "Feels like it just dropped thirty degrees in here."

Jack watched him go, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He looked down at Sophie, who held up a sort of triangle-shaped box in triumph before ripping it apart. She didn't seem too off-beat from her normal manner. Did she really know he was that worried, or was it just something she said that she didn't really analyze before she said it? A pang of guilt shook the Winter Spirit, and he gave a small grimace, looking away from her. He was supposed to be the Guardian of Fun. If he was showing his anxiousness to Sophie like she was talking about, he wasn't doing such a hot job. He cursed himself repeatedly in his head, coaching himself to watch his step more.

As if he hadn't tried that already.

"Hey, hun." Jack turned at this, seeing Sophie's mother standing in the entrance of the kitchen with a worried look on her face. But instead of looking to her daughter, she was looking anxiously at her husband, who had just come back into the room. "Come here." She called softly, as if trying not to alert Sophie. But the girl was much too preoccupied to notice. The Father perked, glancing down to Sophie a heartbeat before going over to stand beside his wife.

He had an anxious look on his face.

Jack narrowed his eyes, swooping forward so that he could hear them. He knew for sure by now that he had missed something important.

She took in a shaky breath, the happy façade she had put on for her daughter melting as fast as ice did when you put it in an oven. She reached up and drew a hand shakily through her hair, mussing it up. "I think it's time that we took Jamie to a hospital." She said, her voice scraping pathetically against her throat. Jack tensed at once, eyes growing large as he stared at the husband and wife in confusion. Sophie's mother paused a moment, as if choked. But then she swept on, forcing out her words as if it were almost painful. "Last time I checked his fever, he was over 102. And last night with all his screaming…" Jack's teeth gritted together tightly, making his head ring. He looked at the bags underneath everyone's eyes, and he suddenly realized why they all seemed so tired.

"Are you sure we can't deal with him on our own?" The father demanded.

But the mother shook her head, eyebrows scrunching together tightly by now. She was getting more and more distressed now that she was out of Sophie's line of vision. "No. No…I don't think we can do anything. I feel- I feel like we're just making things worse." She said, a small sob working its way into her voice. "It's been a few days and he isn't getting any better. Nothing I do works, he wont even wake up. I think it's just best if we give him to the professionals. His temperature shouldn't be that high…" She trailed off, unable to keep talking.

The Father sighed through his nose, closing his eyes and ducking his head. His hands went to his hips, and he stayed silent. The only thing that could be heard was Sophie as she started to poke at her Easy Bake Oven again. She really wanted that darn thing open. Her father flashed a look to her as she continued to play, oblivious to their conversation. "When do you want to do it?" He mumbled in reply, though his words came out a little grudgingly. "We have to do it without scaring Sophie. It'll be too much for her if she realized…" He trailed off invitingly, unable to complete the thought. The mother closed her eyes tightly, breathing out a small little sigh.

"I'll take him when Sophie finished opening her presents." She finally said. "She might be too distracted to notice. And if she does…we'll just tell her we're taking him to Aunt Candace's house." The words seemed rehearsed, like she had thought of this excuse before. Her shoulders sagged as she came to a stop, as if finally speaking them had taken a load off of her. "I'll get a few things packed for him. You call the hospital and try to reach somebody there." She offered, already hurrying to her son's room before he could reply.

She rushed right through Jack, giving a slight shiver as she flashed by. But she paid no heed, too worried about her son to try and figure out where the new draft was coming from. And Jack didn't scowl like he usually did when people walked through him without noticing. He was too busy trying to keep himself under his own control. His fists were clenched tightly at his sides, eyes blazing with a furious kind of fire as he glared a hole into the wall across from him.

He couldn't believe it. Jamie was getting worse. So worse that he was going to have to be taken to a hospital. "You're making a mistake!" He wanted to scream at the two parents. "The hospital can't help him! He's got something wrong with him, you have to keep him here! You have to keep him with me! I have to protect him…" Jack closed his eyes, a painful grimace working its way onto his face. He cursed out in a raspy breath, feeling his shoulders start to shake.

He was running out of time.

Time and options.

Suddenly there was a loud crashing noise. Sophie jumped, screaming with surprise as the noise echoed around the house. Jack stiffened, eyes flying open at once as he looked out the window. His heart thrummed rapidly in his ears as his staff sprung forward, aiming towards the direction the noise had come from. But his shoulders slumped as he realized that it was just a fallen trashcan outside that had created the loud bang. He'd let himself get so worked up, the wind was blowing much harder than it should have been outside. Trees bent dangerously as the gusts pounded against them, Jack wincing guiltily as Sophie's father muttered something like: "Great. Just what we need right now."

He tried to get himself to calm down, sucking in a few gulping breaths of air. But nothing worked. Narrowing his eyes, Jack pushed himself lightly into the air, swooping forward cautiously and peering outside the window. His blue eyes roved the snowy landscape, trying to find whatever had caused that noise. These days it was better safe than sorry. But then again, he'd thought that a stalker was following him, Jamie, and Sophie through the woods before. And then that just turned out to be a cat. This could very well be the same sort of situation.

"Hey, Soph!" Sophie's dad called behind Jack. "Are you sure you've opened _everything_? I think I see one back there! Why don't you go find it?" He crouched down, watching as his daughter turned back to the tree. He had the phone clutched tightly in his hand, just about to call the hospital. All he needed now was a distraction for her so that Sophie wouldn't hear him. "Isn't it fun? It's like a Treasure Hunt! You're Pirate Sophie!" The little girl dissolved into a fit of giggles at this, hugging her Giraffe tightly to her stomach as she did so. Her father suddenly blinked, titling his head. "Where'd you get that one?" He asked, reaching out and poking the Giraffe in the stomach.

"Jack Frost gave it to me!" Sophie replied merrily, turning and sorting through the presents with a careful eye.

"Don't you mean Santa Claus?" He prompted, eyes shimmering with amusement.

"Nope." Sophie said flatly, reaching out and getting another package out with a grin.

Jack was about to give up. It looked like there was nothing out there. It must have just been the wind that knocked the trash can over. He had more pressing matters than a noise to look into. Jamie could be carted off to the hospital while he was sitting there staring out a window. Jack sighed heavily, starting to turn back to try and make more sense of the situation at hand. But suddenly he tensed, eyes widening as he flew back to the window. There. A flash of black streaked across the snow, leaving no footprints in its wake. It was fleeing from the direction of Sophie's house.

His eyes flashed over towards where Sophie and her father were. The father had his back towards him, Sophie looking up as she caught sight of the Guardian looking at her. The mother was still in Jamie's room it looked like, she wasn't anywhere to be seen in the Den. The blonde seemed to have a question on her lips, the little girl opening her mouth as if to ask him something. But Jack put a finger to his lips quickly, smiling as he gave her a small shush. He raised his index finger, signaling that he'd be back. Eyes flashing over to the window once more, Jack shot forward elegantly, taking the way he had come in as he got outside via chimney.

He had to give North props. Chimney travel was nothing to sneeze at. It was cramped, it smelled bad, it was _so _dirty, and it all-around, it was something you never want to experience. By the time he finally popped out of the bricked cylinder, he was scared that he had lost whatever he had seen. But he managed to catch another glimpse of it fleeing from the direction of Sophie and Jamie's house. It was suspicious. And it seemed to wisp and flicker in the winter wind.

Jack's eyes narrowed into furious slits at once.

It was a Nightmare Shadow.

He moved quick. With a kind of furious speed that he's only had a few times on occasions. But he moved so fast, he was just a mere blur that whisked away with the wind. He shot out of the chimney in a puff of black ash, which quickly brushed off of him as he rocketed down from the house. He was flying so low, his stomach almost brushed the snowy grass, but he didn't pay any attention. He streaked after the Nightmare, blue eyes filled with fury and anger. The black horse suddenly veered off to the right, diving through the dried-up foliage of plants and disappearing into the woods.

Jack skidded clumsily, letting out a muffled yell of confusion as he turned awkwardly. He barreled forward, forcing himself to go even faster to make up for his slip. He could see faint glimpses of the Nightmare far up ahead. He was loosing ground. If he was going to keep up with this thing, he was going to have to act quickly. His hair was slicked back firmly to his head, his eyes watering up as he pushed himself faster and faster. "C'mon, wind!" He pleaded, voice lost to the roar of the wind in his ears. "Help me go a little faster!"

It responded almost at once, blasting a wicked shove of air that sent Jack sprawling. The boy flew forward with a shrill yelp, smacking into something cold and hard with enough force to send him skidding a good ten feet. He groaned loudly, grimacing with pain as he pushed himself up with shaky arms. "Ouch." He grumbled, reaching up tenderly and rubbing the side of his head gingerly. "That sucked." He grumbled, letting his arm fall back down with an odd clumping noise. It was then that he realized how far he'd actually come.

He was sitting on the frozen surface of the pond, harsh winter winds buffeting against him, threatening to knock him over right on the spot. Wincing, he forced himself up into a standing position. That fall didn't really do wonders for his back. And arms. And…everything, really. He growled underneath his breath, forcing the thoughts of pain away as he looked around the pond, cursing himself for not thinking straight. He'd come all this way for nothing. The stupid Nightmare was gone by now. Nowhere to be seen.

He thought he was alone. The wind was blowing hard by now, snow streaking down from the sky rather violently. It rained against his skin like little needles, hail and snow mixed together. If Jack didn't get a hold of himself soon, there would probably be enough snow days to dock off a whole school year. His eyes traveled over the forest carefully, but he came up with nothing. Frozen icicles hanging down from the tree branches, flowers that had been frosted over carefully, snow that was rapidly bunching together to form inches. Or maybe even feet.

And that's when his eyes landed on her.

He was completely caught off-guard. He jumped out of his skin at the sudden appearance of her, a strangled noise of shock managing to be snatched out from his throat. He rapidly drew a hand through his hair, icy eyes flashing as his feet slipped out from underneath himself. The wind acted like a net, catching him before he could slam back down onto the thick surface a second time. He muttered a swift thank-you, righting himself as he straightened, clearing his throat. His cheeks flamed with a hue of pink, but he brushed it off, snapping at himself to focus.

It seemed like he had no attention span, these last few days.

"Sophie." He said in a breathy sort of voice. The girl stood on the bank, not yet having stepped onto the pond. She was bundled up in a puffy coat, mittens and a hat snugly strapped onto her. She stood in hot pink snow pants, nose and cheeks as red as Rudolph's nose. She was shaking in her snow boots, and despite everything else, Jack frowned with concern. He took a small step forward, head tilting to the side. "Hey, Squirt, you alright?" She hugged herself tightly, not replying. Jack blinked slowly. "How'd you get out here so fast?" He asked.

"…Jamie…" She said, Jack almost unable to hear her over the roaring wind.

"What's wrong, Sophie?" Jack asked, voice hardening with panic. "Did something happen?"

"N-No…" The little girl sniffled pathetically, looking very small among the harsh hail and wind. Briefly, Jack wondered how and why her parents had possibly let her come out this far by herself. She couldn't even walk from school home, even though she lived right by the building. To come out all this way into the forest…somehow, Jack didn't believe she could have managed it. You add the bad weather to the equation, and Jack should have known something was wrong. But he wasn't thinking; his only worries were solely for Jamie and Sophie's well-being. A little trivial piece of information like strict parenting did not occur to him.

If Sophie had come all this way, it was for something important.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked, concern clear in his tone.

"I'm…I'm scared, Jack!" Sophie wailed, tears springing out from her eyes at once. Her hands flew up to her eyes, covering them as tears flowed down her bright red cheeks. Jack's eyes widened at once at the sudden change, the boy freezing with surprise. The blonde' shoulders shook heavily with sobs as she tried to go on. "He wont wake up, and mommy's taking him somewhere without me! We've never been apart for long! I don't want him to go, I want him to stay! He's my big brother! Without him, I…I…" She didn't finish, she wasn't able to.

She wailed into her palms, Jack's eyes burning as he watched her bawl. Without thinking, he crouched down, holding out his arms invitingly. "Awh, Squirt. I'm so…I'm so sorry." He said sadly, Sophie peeking out from between her fingers at him, eyes teary. She sniffled thickly, lower lip pointed out into a pout. "Come here." Jack offered her into a hug. "I'll see what I can do to make that big turn upside-down. Alright?" He forced out a smile.

Sophie returned his expression, albeit watery. She reached out her arms for the hug, dashing out onto the ice and charging for Jack, her eyes closed tightly. She slipped slightly on her way, running blindly for her Guardian. But abruptly, Jack blinked, hearing the miniscule noise like it was a slap in the face. He'd know it anywhere. "NO SOPHIE STOP!" He screamed at once, already grabbing his staff tightly in his fist, flying forward to try and grab her. But he seemed to move in slow motion. Like he was in a bottle of syrup.

And the scene flashed by just as slow. Sophie tripped suddenly as a large crack appeared in front of her, a startled shriek ripping itself from her mouth as she smacked down onto the ice. The white surface crumbled underneath her, the freezing water gushing out of the new gap, reaching up and grabbing her forcefully. It sucked at the girl's winter coat, soaking her immediately as she shrieked with pain. The water dragged her underneath the thick ice, sucking her down and trapping her in its dark depths. "JACK!" She screamed, voice a horrified soprano. She tried to call out again, but it came out as a muffled choke, her head being snatched underneath the black liquid.

"SOPHIE, NO!" Jack screamed hoarsely, voice raking painfully through his windpipe. He dashed forward, slipping and sliding across the uneven pond. Water pooled at his feet, freezing cold to the touch. But he paid no mind to it. Tears found their way on his cheeks as he panted unevenly, hands flying down and sticking straight into the hole the ice had left. He groped down as far as he could reach, gritting his teeth tightly together. "SOPHIE DON'T DO THIS!" He screamed, voice pained. His hand closed on empty water, the Guardian unable to grab the girl. She just disappeared. "SOPHIE, PLEASE!" Jack sobbed, pushing himself back up as he panted. "I'M COMING! JUST…HOLD ON! I'LL GET YOU! DON'T WORRY! DON'T MOVE! YOU'RE GOING TO BE FINE!"

He made a move to dive forward, stomach doing uneasy churns as he got closer and closer to the water. The black, suffocating water. Fear raced through every inch of him, causing him to become shaky as he trembled. But he forced himself not to pay mind to the panicked sense of thrill that raced through his body. Sophie was going to die if he didn't get over himself! He threw himself forward, screwing his eyes shut as he braced himself for the feeling that had haunted him.

But when he dove forward, all he met was…ice.

Jack spluttered with confusion, pushing himself backwards as he rubbed his forehead roughly, grimacing. He straightened, eyes widening. There was no hole. The ice was fine, as if nobody had even set foot onto it yet. Jack whirled around, eyes landing on the spot Sophie had stood on the bank. No footprints. "…What?" He whispered hoarsely, looking around as he rubbed his arms, as if cold. "…Sophie?" He called out. He turned back down to the ice, heart in his throat. He balled his hand into a fist, ramming it down against the solid ice. "Sophie!" He yelled, voice cracking. He felt like he'd been doing way too much yelling. So what was going on?

"Oh, how touching." A dry voice crooned suddenly. Jack's expression cleared slightly as he looked up, eyes widening a fraction as he stared into the trees. The voice came from behind him, and part of his mind yelled at him to turn around. But his body wouldn't reply. He was frozen, staring straight ahead. But the voice went on, as if it didn't need a response. "Such a tragedy, really. You'd be willing to risk everything for one single insignificant child. You'd be willing to give up your life for something that, really, is inevitable. I suppose that's what love is, though. Doing stupid things for stupid reasons. I wouldn't know, actually. I'm smart enough to _despise_ the emotion."

He bolted to his feet, spinning around as he picked up his staff. He extended the end outwards, eyes two twin balls of fire as he aimed straight for the man's chest. "Pitch." He growled, the words coming out through gritted teeth. The shadow-colored man smirked where he stood on the opposite side of the pond. His pointed teeth seemed to flash dangerously, the shadows curling around the man's feet giving the ice underneath him a faint blackish tinge. Jack had pictured what he was going to say to Pitch if he ever did find him again, which he didn't know for sure. Considering the fact that the last time Jack had seen him, he'd been chased by his own minions. So he didn't really have high hopes of meeting the Boogeyman again. And yet here he was. And all the lines that Jack had rehearsed to himself, all the situations he had run through in his head…slipped his mind. He was drawing a blank. The only thing he could manage was point his staff forward and glare.

Which didn't really seem to faze Pitch.

"Ah, Jack Frost." The man said, voice taking on a sort of singing quality. "It seems as though you've been expecting me! Although you seem to be more confused than you _usually _are." Jack twitched as he put a special sort of emphasis on the word, but he bit back what he was thinking to say, remaining silent as he stared Pitch down. The man just snorted with amusement. "What's with the frown, Jack?" He demanded, voice light and oddly cheery. "Don't you know what day it is? Put on a smile! You _are _the Guardian of fun after all! Show off that _famous _grin of your's! Hmm?"

Jack snarled at this, whipping his staff down as hard as he could, frost and shards of ice flying forward, flying right for Pitch in a perfect bull's-eye. They flew right through him, Jack's hand clenching into a determined fist at the victory. But he dropped his arm as Pitch vanished. As soon as the projectiles went through him, the man crumbled. Jack took a small step forward, confusion overcoming his emotions as his mouth hung open slightly. "Oh, if you think it'll be that easy to kill me, you've got another thing coming for you!" The voice was right by his ear now, Jack jumping as he staggered forward, spinning around and aiming his staff at Pitch once more. How the man got there so suddenly, Frost had no idea.

Pitch smiled, inhaling, like a person would do when they passed by a Bakery. "That's right, Jack. Feed your fear. It's inevitable to extinguish fear permanently, you of all people should know that." Jack's jaws locked backwards, a million comebacks racing through his mind. But he couldn't say any of them, his voice failed him. "It always lives inside of a person, and it always will. No matter how much you try to suppress it. It ALWAYS comes back."

Before Jack could even try and reply, the world seemed to melt away like wax. The pond around him changed shape and colors, images flashing in front of his eyes like he was watching a screen. Sophie disappearing underneath the ice, gasping for air as she suffocated. Jamie, asleep forever and unable to wake up as he wasted away in a permanent slumber. Tooth stood in front of him, tears beading up in her eyes a moment before she turned, storming away with a dry sob. North and Bunny, both regarding him with hatred, Sandy looking cross. Then his vision turned black, a terrified, blood-curdling scream ripping through his head. "JAAAAAACCCKKK!"

"Ah!" Jack jerked forwards, out of whatever had just happened. He was back on the pond, shaking violently where he stood. Pitch looked at him, face mirroring the exact expressions of the ones Jack had seen on North and Bunny. His breath came in a surprised gasps, but he managed to hide it quickly. "What was that?" He demanded, voice hardening as he narrowed his eyes. Suddenly, it dawned on him what had just happened, eyes flickering over to the empty bank of the pond. "You- You did that thing that I saw! With Sophie!"

"Of course." He said, as if it should have been obvious. "What did you think? The _Easter Bunny _crafted it? Nobody else in your band of froo-froo goodies could even try and match against me now." His voice dropped slightly at this, Jack regarding the man carefully now. He didn't interrupt this time, just waiting for him to go on. Pitch's eyes flashed as he gave a wicked grin. "I've gotten much stronger since you've last seen me, Jack. This is just a sample of what I've learned to do. Nightmares when people are awake! I should have thought of it sooner, really! A bad dream that you can never _wake up _from." Jack gaped mentally at this, but did his best to not show it outside of his mind. But Pitch seemed to sense the newfound thrill of panic that rushed from Jack's head to his feet. "I'm much stronger than I was last. And you know it. I can promise you that very soon, the word will be plunged into darkness. This time there is no preventing it."

Jack scoffed loudly. "Really? The same goal? Don't you get a little tired of doing the same thing over and over? Be careful, Pitch, I see a little rut forming underneath you."

"Hah. Hah." Pitch growled, obviously not amused at all. His eyes flared threateningly, Jack taking a deep breath to try and calm himself. "Be careful on what side you choose to place yourself in, Jack." He warned. "I stand by what I said earlier. Your efforts are wasted on the 'Guardians.'" He said that word like somebody would say: Dog Poop. "If you join me now, you can have anything you've ever wanted. I'm a good gambler, Jack. And the odds on your side of the equation aren't weighing very heavily as of right now."

"Forget it, Pitch." Jack spat. "I'd rather die than go as low as to be with someone like you."

Pitch glared over at him, and Jack knew that he probably would regret what he just said. Shouldn't North be alerted that Pitch was doing something now? That Jack could be in danger? Shouldn't there be a big old Rescue Party storming right for him right about now? "You'd best watch your step." He warned creepily. "How are you to know that the visions I just showed you were just a figment of imagination? I could be showing you what is to come." Jack's eyes narrowed. Pitch shook his head slowly, "I'm just trying to save you heartache. Join me, and nothing could touch you."

"Shut up!" Jack shouted sharply. "I wont believe anything you say!"

"Tch." Pitch muttered. "Such harsh words for someone who's dearly beloveds lie in _my _care."

Jack snapped to attention, eyes flying wide with anger and shock. His grip tightened on his staff, his voice coming out a smidge higher than normal. "Jamie and Sophie!" He yelped, Pitch smiling at this, as if to tell him 'Congrats for guessing Right!' His eyes narrowed, he shot off from the pond, streaking forward at the speed of light and stopping right exactly as he was nose-to-nose with Pitch. His blue eyes bored fire into Pitch's own, and he growled out thickly: "What did you do to them?"

"One of them, actually." Pitch stated, as if the answer was right in front of his nose and he was too stupid to notice it. "The little girl is a little harder to work with. Fear doesn't mold as easily in littler ones, much as you would think it would be the opposite." His eyes glinted suddenly. "But the boy…yes, I would have to admit that I may have played a part in the little nap he's taking."

Jack pressed his staff underneath Pitch's chin, pressing it tightly against the man's throat. "You'd better start making sense, or I'll-"

"You'll do what, Jack?" Pitch demanded suddenly, cutting him off. "You'll kill me? I'd love to see you try! And even if you would manage to do so, what would become of Jamie, then? Hmm?" Jack stopped short, blinking rapidly as his grip on the staff loosened. It lowered a little bit, more out of surprise than anything. "See, now you're starting to see sense!" Pitch said, almost like Jack was a little toddler that had finally managed to do something right for a change. "I hold the life of your precious little Jamie in my hands, Jack. If you cared much at all for the boy, you wouldn't lay a finger on me. And the longer you refuse me…"

Jack growled underneath his breath, remembering how Jamie's mother had said something about Jamie screaming last night. "You're sending Jamie nightmares." He concluded, voice thick with anger. "You're making it so he can't wake up. You're drawing strength from his fear." The clues fitted together, and suddenly everything made terrifying sense. The new powers that Pitch seemed to have. The new way that the man held himself. If he was got such a boost from Jamie's fear…the boy must be going through something terrible. The thought made him shiver, and not from the cold.

"Oh, the little child figured it out! Would you like a biscuit?" The man eyed Jack's staff a moment, as if debating. "You'd do well to take your weapon away, Frost." When he refused to do so, Pitch's gaze got a little sharper. "It seems like somebody doesn't care what happens to a certain little boy." He snapped his fingers, a large shadow horse forming out from his black robes, racing away at the speed of light. Jack whirled around, gasping as he started to run after it. "I wouldn't." Pitch said frostily, freezing the boy where he was. "I might slip and make more."

Jack glowered, seething silently to himself. He turned back around to Pitch, forcing himself to concentrate. The weather around them had picked up, a blizzard picking up around them as winds whipped them, the trees bending precariously to the ground. He closed his eyes, realization slamming into him like a punch to the stomach. "…What do you want?" He asked weakly, knowing that the question was unavoidable.

"The same thing I wanted before." Pitch stated. "I need a strong companion by my side, Jack. And you're just the person for the job. Don't you-"

"Shut up!" Jack yelled. "I'll never join you! My decision hasn't changed!"

"You're playing a dangerous game here, Frost!" Pitch snapped. "I control everything that's important to you! And if you take one step out of line, things will get _very _ugly _very _fast! Now, I'll ask you again." There was a rustling in the bushes behind Pitch, and Jack stiffened, taking a small step backwards. Shadows melted out from the forest, eyes glinting with evil as they filed out from their hiding spot. There had to be at least a hundred, all jet-black and made of shadows. Their bodies swirled with evil shadows, nightmarish growling and snapping noises leaking out from their mouth, sending a jolt of cold down Jack's spine. "Will you join my army?" Pitch demanding.

Jack couldn't answer, eyes starting to prick and burn as he was faced with the impossible choice.

"I'd hurry if I were you." Pitch noted. "My shadows aren't very patient at all. And I have a feeling that a certain family is starting to feel a little tired." He paused, pursing his lips. "Maybe even the whole town!" He chuckled, as if he just told the greatest 'Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?' joke. But then he became serious, moods changing in less than a moment. "Hurry, Jack. The entire town is waiting with _bated breath _for your choice."

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A./N: As are you all, I'm sure XD

Sorry for the cliffhanger. This is ten pages long! It went on to 13 pages long, when I decided to just split this chapter into two. So half of the next chapter is almost done! So as soon as I get enough reviews, I'll be sure to send that right up~!

**Out of sight. Out of mind.**

**Out of time. To decide.**

**Do we run? Should I hide? For the rest…of my life…**

**Do we fly? Do I stay?**

**We could lose. We could fail.**

**And the moment it takes…**

**To make plans…**

**Or mistakes…**

**30 Minutes - Tatu. **


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Here's the other half of the chapter I was talking about~! ^^

Hope you really like this chapter, I'll try my best to make it epic ;3

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Jack spun around, not even pausing before rocketing out from the pond, pushing himself harder and harder as he strained to get out of the woods. Pitch's enraged scream reached his ears, the boy grimacing with terror at it. The horses whinnied at once, Jack hearing the faint sounds of hooves in pursuit getting louder and louder as the nightmares raced after him. He was only managing to out-fly these things because of the pure fear and adrenaline that was pumping through his veins.

He burst out of the woods, gasping as he turned back to look behind him. The horses were getting closer. They be on top of him any moment now. Sucking in a deep breath, Jack's fingers flew up to his mouth, the boy pursing his lips before blowing out sharply. A sharp wolf-whistle pierced through the air, the winds parting to let the noise ring throughout the town clearly. Jack dropped his arm with a smack, still panting for breath. He waited a heartbeat, biting his lip as precious time leaked through his fingers.

Nothing.

"Crap!" Jack spat in disappointment, jumping to attention as he heard the horses right behind him. Forcing himself to shoot off faster than ever before, the Winter Spirit willed himself to be pulled forward by the sharp winds. He kept his arms and feet glued together tightly, propelled through the air like a kite. His eyes searched for Jamie's house desperately, heartbeat thumping loudly in his ears and chest. The town of Burgess came up in front of him, spread out like a blanket. His eyes roved wildly, trying to land on Jamie's house as his mind drew a panicked blank. How did he get to their house, again!?

Suddenly, his vision was blocked. A wall of shadows sprang up in front of him, circling around him quicker than he was expecting. Jack smashed into the dark mess, hands sinking into the black matter like it was some sort of quicksand. He gasped sharply, yanking himself backwards as he tried to get unstuck. "Jack, Jack, Jack." Pitch crooned, melting through the walls and stepping inside the small space. The Guardian turned back to look at him, still trying to get his hands out of the sticky muck. "You're making a huge mistake, here. You know that, don't you?" Pitch prompted.

Jack's jaw locked backwards angrily. "I'm a Guardian." He growled. "I protect kids, not plague them with nightmares!"

Pitch grinned, as if Jack had said the right thing. "'Protect kids?'" He mused, yellow eyes glinting evilly. "But don't you see, Jack? The only way that you'll protect _anything _in this town…is if you'll join forces with me." The Winter Sprite faltered in his trying to get out, blue eyes widening slightly as he became frozen. The man's eyes hardened, tired of playing games. "I'll give you one more chance, Frost. After all, everyone deserve another chance, wouldn't you agree?" Jack didn't reply, he couldn't seem to find his voice.

Pitch cleared his voice a little sharply. "If you really _do _wish to protect the kids that are in this town, you'd better make a choice quickly. While you're stuck in here, my nightmares are making good progress throughout the town. They're ready to attack…or withdraw." Jack swallowed a thick lump in his throat, feeling himself start to shiver. "It all depends on what word you say next. Yes…or no." Pitch grinned, simply waiting by now. His words rang in Jack's head: _I've gotten much stronger than I was last. I can promise you that very soon, the world will be plunged into darkness. This time there is no preventing it._

His eyes flashed over to his hands. He was stuck. His staff was somewhere in the mess of shadows. He had nowhere to go, and he was unarmed. If he took a wrong step, not only would Jamie be in more danger, but the whole town would be morphed into a new world of darkness. Everything depended on what he would do right now. Whether or not he betrayed the Guardians and went with Pitch. He literally felt the weight of his decision resting on his shoulders. The walls of the shadows seemed to press in on him, choking him, and making him feel cramped. He couldn't remember how to breathe right. The only thing he could think for certain of was all the times he had been with Jamie and Sophie. The winter days spent skating on the pond. The time when their family went camping and Jack came along for the ride. How just yesterday it seemed, him and Sophie were climbing all over the furniture that was for sale at Target. It all seemed so close and yet so far away.

Would he ever be able to have that again?

Pitch coughed dryly once more. "The clock is ticking, Jack."

The boy stiffened a moment, drawing himself up tightly. But then his shoulders slackened, Jack ducking his head close to his chest with a pained grimace. His teeth clenched together tightly, trying to keep the words barred behind their clutches, but Jack managed to spit it out anyway. "Fine." He growled, voice laced with disappointment. He was disappointed in himself. It seemed like he could never pull through entirely when he was in situations like this. He didn't deserve to be a Guardian….right? His eyes flashed for a heartbeat, but he closed them quickly, waiting.

Pitch laughed, smile stretching maliciously from ear to ear. He raised his fingers, pulling them together and snapping loudly. At once, the shadows melted away, crumbling like sand. Jack snapping his arms back to himself, rubbing and shaking them until all the lingering shadows vanished. It was like shaking water off of himself. When he was finally clear, Jack straightened, keeping a firm hold on his staff as Pitch advanced towards him. "You've made the right choice, Jack." Pitch assured him easily, though he still regarded him cautiously. The shadow extended his hand, raising his eyebrows invitingly. "Let's shake on it, shall we?" He said softly.

Jack looked from Pitch to his hand, mind racing. Could he really just leave the Guardians like this? Would Pitch even keep his word about sparing the town? He had to make up his mind now. The Guardians obviously didn't care about what was going on, otherwise they would have flown down here and tried to save him. He was alone now, and it looked like it was going to stay that way for a while. Maybe even forever, if he kept up what he was doing. Hesitantly, he reached out with his hand, gripping Pitch's wrist tightly.

The two locked eyes, and at that moment, Jack knew. His eyes narrowed quickly, grip firming up on both his staff and Pitch's hand. He made a move to swing his staff forward, but Pitch had guessed his motive all along. He gripped Jack's hand so tightly that Jack let out a shrill yelp. He twisted the Guardian's arm sharply to the side, locking it behind his back firmly. The man grabbed the collar of Jack's sweatshirt, yanking him close so that they were nose-to-nose. "You've just made a _fatal _mistake, Frost." He snarled, blue eyes clashing with yellow.

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, screams erupted like thunder underneath them. Jack's eyes popped wide, the boy trying to struggle out of Pitch's grip. But the man only sneered. "You really thought that you could trick me? I'm the master of trickery, don't you know that by now?" His gaze went down to the town, inhaling once more. "But I was being sincere about the nightmares, Jack. One cannot joke about their work, after all." At Jack's enraged look, Pitch only shook his head dismissively. "I gave you a chance, Jack. And you wasted it. Everyone was counting on you, and you let them down. How sad….you really are a terrible Guardian."

The words stabbed into Jack's chest like a knife, the boy gasping unevenly as they smacked into him. For a moment, he was overcome with what he had just done. The townspeople's screams echoed in his ears, pounding against his head and ripping into his heart. He had failed everyone. He had a chance to save them, but he was too greedy. He was only thinking about himself. That wasn't what a Guardian did. If he was half the Guardian that North or Sandy was…maybe he would have actually used his head and saved them.

But then the misery was replaced. It was replaced by burning hot anger. Jack hissed furiously through his teeth, feeling his body grow colder and colder as his eyes flamed. Pitch blinked, caught off-guard for a moment. Jack leaned forward, despite the fact that he had his arms pinned behind his back. He was too overcome to speak for a heartbeat, but he finally managed to get his mouth to move. His words were thick with rage and enmity. "No." He snarled. "I'm not. It's _you _who've made the fatal mistake, Pitch. Because you've messed with _my _town." He closed his eyes tightly for a moment, then snapped them open with a loud yell, "Now let go. Of. ME!"

A rush of freezing cold rush out of Jack, connecting with Pitch as the man let out a painful howl. His grip released at once, Jack shooting away as soon as he could. He looked at them man with wide blue eyes, shocked. Pitch's arms were blackening rapidly, a painful-looking black ice spreading across them. "FROST!" He yelled, eyes alight with malice as he looked at the Guardian. Jack turned quickly, shooting away at once as he swooped down to the town. He left Pitch behind as fast as he could, hands still stinging from the shadows.

Screams came up through every house he passed, Jack skidding to a stop and whirling around in confusion. What was he supposed to do!? His heart screamed at him to go to Jamie's house. To go and save him. But he couldn't just leave the entire town to Pitch's horses! And yet, he couldn't save everyone…not by himself. Pushing his fingers together, Jack sucked in his breath, creating another wolf-whistle. He used everything he had for this one, trying to channel his desperation into the noise. He let his hand smack down to his side, eyes wide as he scanned the sky.

Still nothing.

He was running out of options. He glanced over the town, heart drumming loudly against his choice. Pitch was getting over the blow, he would be upon him any minute now. Jack closed his eyes, forcing the screams around him out of his head so he could think clearly. "Pitch knows more about Jamie and Sophie." He mumbled to himself. "He'll make them have the worst of the situation. I need to get to them first." Though reluctantly, he pushed himself forward, eyes scanning for the two kids' house. The screams seemed to be dragging him backwards, slowing him down in his flight. They begged for attention, begged to be saved.

He tried to get himself to stay calm. Just not think about it. He prayed that help would come soon. If things continued on like this, there was no way that he could ever pull off saving the town. Pitch was gaining on him, and the nightmares were slowly making their way through the town, house by house. If they hadn't reached Sophie's and Jamie's house, it was only a matter of time before they would. His situation was getting worse and worse. It was a million to one, and those statistics weren't always his favorite kind.

Finally, he spotted it. The quaint little home that was near the edge of Burgess. Jamie's house. It was untouched for now, but Jack knew for a fact that it was not going to stay that way. He angled himself down, not even caring to watch himself as he grabbed the door, ripping it open so hard that he almost stumbled backwards. Snow and winds blasted themselves inside the house, along with the screaming from the other residents. At once there was a loud breaking sound in the kitchen, Sophie's frightened shout just barely audible over the other noises.

Jack staggered inside the house, blue eyes frantic. "SOPHIE!" He called out in a panic. "SOPHIE WHERE ARE YOU!? WHERE'S JAMIE!?" He looked around the house, almost pained. The Christmas tree was still shining brightly in the corner, as if what had just happened had no affected the mood of the morning. The wrapping paper that had been strewn around the room was pushed into the air by the winds in the house, swirling around like a multi-colored tornado. The breakfast was done, it seemed, or the mother had just given up cooking at the new event. Jack could literally feel the happiness of Christmas morning shatter right in front of him.

"Sophie, where are you going?!" Her mother called out from the kitchen.

The little girl rounded the corner of the kitchen, clutching her Giraffe to her chest with scared eyes. "What's going on?" She asked, voice a scared squeak. She looked past Jack, at the nightmares that were now storming for the house. Her eyes became a million times bigger, a strangled gasp coming from her as she took a small step backwards.

"No, Sophie!" Jack said quickly. He slammed the door as hard as he could, turning and planting his hands on the wood. It immediately froze over with ice as thick as submarine windows; Jack hoped that the ice would act as some sort of reinforcement if the door were to be knocked down. He whirled around quickly, feeling each passing minute like a stab in the heart. "Listen to me, Sophie. Okay? Are you listening to me?" The girl was blinking rapidly, whimpering as the nightmares screeched outside the home, yelling with anger at the fact that they could not get inside.

"Sophie! Sophie, where are you!" The girl's mother and father burst into the hall, eyes wide with fear. In the mother's arms was…Jamie. The boy looked pale and sickly, much worse than Jack had last seen him. It was like he aged a hundred years since Jack had sat with him at the campfire. The memory of their last normal day together pricked at his eyes, but he forced himself to tear his gaze away. He looked back down at Sophie, more than sure that he was openly showing some of his anxiousness. But maybe that would help her see that this was a serious problem. She couldn't stall this any more than Jack could himself. "Sophie, come here!" Her mother said. "We're going into the basement!" Sophie turned, looking from Jack to her mother with puzzlement. She didn't know who to listen to.

Jack pointed forward to the couple, silently apologizing as blue sparks lit up their face. For a moment, they had no expression on their face but confusion. As if they didn't know what was going on. But then they smiled at one another, grinning like nothing was going on. The father said something about opening more presents, the mother saying something about cookies and milk. Sophie turned. "…Mommy?" She whimpered.

"Sophie! Listen!" Jack said, more forceful than he meant it to come out as. The girl jumped, whirling back to face him. Tears were misting over her eyes, threatening to spill over at any moment. She was shaking with fear, jumping every time that a shadow banged against the door. Jack took in a slow breath, forcing himself to calm down. The ice that he had put over the door was starting to crack and splinter. They didn't have much time. "Okay. Are you listening to me?" He asked, voice much quieter than it had been a moment before. Sophie swallowed a lump in her throat, nodding. "Good." Jack nodded over to Jamie and their parents. He shuffled forward, grabbing Sophie's shoulders and forcing her to look at him steadily. "I'm going to take you someplace cool, okay? Won't that be fun? You and your brother get to come with me and play!"

"What about mommy and daddy?" Sophie sniffled, eyes big pools of misery.

"They're gonna have to hold down the fort until we get back. But they'll have fun, too. Don't you worry." He winced, the ice splitting apart with a loud crack. "C'mon, Sophie. We gotta go! Don't you wanna go and play with Bunny? Sandy will be there too! So many toys! More than you could ever count! And we can play with all of them!" His voice had taken a more desperate tone by now. The ice completely crumbled, the door bursting open as nightmares forced their way into the home. The mother and father were completely unaware of the situation, Jack might have put a little too MUCH into that one….

Sophie shrieked with horror, rushing over and grabbing Jack's sleeve, ducking her head and hiding behind his sweatshirt. "JACK!" She screamed. "WHAT DO WE DO?" The Winter Sprite was breathing heavily, the shadows advancing much slower now, as if they were toying with their prey. Jack raised his staff, taking aim and shooting blindly at the horses that were closest to them. A wave of ice washed over them, the things disappearing on the spot with painful howls. Jack stiffened, getting up quickly and pushing Sophie gently so that she was behind him. He pointed his staff threateningly forward.

"Keep back!" He yelled. "Unless you want to be frozen, I suggest you stay back!"

Pitch stood in the front yard of the house, yellow eyes boring into Jack's own as they met each other's gazes. "Oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you." Pitch said, voice flat. Jack drew himself up, expression hardening as he flipped his staff pointedly. The next line of nightmares were extinguished, freezing up for a moment before shattering apart like glass. Pitch twitched angrily, raising his hand and clenching it tightly. Nothing happened, and Jack felt a smirk pulling the edges of his lips upwards. "Good try, Pitch. You get an A for effort." He flashed.

"Ah, but you get an F for being a _Failure_ of a Guardian." Pitch said. Jack blinked rapidly, caught off-guard for a heartbeat. He opened his mouth to say something, but a sudden scream sliced through his train of thought. Jack whirled around, holding Sophie close to him by the little's girls shoulders. Jamie's eyes screwed shut tightly, the boy shaking where he was collapsed on the ground. He screamed in his sleep, body starting to convulse violently. Jack made a move to rush over to him, but the nightmares gathered around Jamie, giving feral growls at Jack as they barred his way through.

"Sorry for this, Jack." Pitch said simply, not sounding sorry at all. Jack turned back to look at him, torn. "But you know what they say: 'All's Fair in Love and War.'" He snickered. "'It is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.' There are many quotes on how love is malicious and cruel. I wonder what your's will be when this is all over. Now. Let's have a look into that little girl's mind, shall we?"

Jack tensed at once, grabbing Sophie and hugging her close. "Leave her alone, Pitch!" He snapped, starting to panic as the shadows advanced for them. Sophie started to cry, hugging Jack with a lot more force than he expected her to have in the first place. Her crying broke Jack's heart, and as the nightmares came forward, he was out of ways to escape. Sucking in a deep breath, Jack stuck his staff up over his head, ice pouring out from the tip and washing over them. Sophie held on tighter as the snow cascaded over them, blinking as she peeped out from Jack's sweatshirt.

A large ball of ice formed itself tightly around both him and the family. Shards of ice shot down to stab through the nightmares that were gathered around Jamie, Jack watching as they all were reduced to black sand. He finally let go of Sophie, the girl breaking away from him quickly as she dashed over to her mother and father. "Mommy?" She cried, tears running freely down her cheeks by now. She turned to her father, who was tracing lines in the sand around them, as if bored. "Daddy?" Sophie sniffled.

"They'll be fine, Sophie." Jack said in what he hoped was a comforting voice. He was too frazzled, he couldn't even remember to use her nickname in place of her regular name. But if Sophie noticed, she gave no heed to it. She blinked, turning and looking from Jack to her parents, mouth setting into a firm line. She became silent, listening with teary eyes as the nightmares started to throw themselves against the ice, trying to break it.

Jack grimaced as the ice began to crack, but turned, crawling over to Jamie. The boy was still twitching horrifyingly in his sleep, but he had stopped yelling out. Whether it was because he was too weak by now to do so, or the dreams were starting to subside, Jack had no idea. He had hoped it was the latter of the two, but he knew better. "Jamie?" Jack said, nearly breathless. He reached down, scooping Jamie up carefully and holding him close. The boy was burning hot, Jack could feel the fever he had radiating through the air. He mumbled incoherent words under his breath, voice only a small mumble.

Looking at him, fresh agony and disappointment welled in Jack's heart.

How could he have let his friend get this sick?

"Jamie?" Jack pleaded, wincing again as a large crack split the roof of the igloo. Sophie shrieked, dashing over and hiding in Jack's sweatshirt once more. The boy did not reply to Jack's call, just like he expected him to do. Desperate to relieve the boy's suffering in any way, Jack planted his hand gently across his forehead, trying to cool Jamie down as best he could manage. He looked up, surveying their ice-shield quickly. He closed his eyes, stomping down his panic and fear. It would only feed the Nightmares.

"Okay, Sophie. Are you listening?" He said finally, turning around and looking back at her. The blonde perked, peeking out from his shoulder. Her eyes glistened, the watermarks on her cheeks apparent by now. But Jack forced out a smile, nonetheless. "As soon as the ice breaks, we're going to run outside the house, okay? It'll be like a race. I'll grab you and Jamie, and then we can go to North's house! Wouldn't that be fun?" Sophie glanced over at her parents, mouth still set closed firmly.

She didn't say anything for a heartbeat. Then: "…But you always beat us at races."

Jack grinned, the smile wavering at the ends. "Well, then, Squirt, here's your chance to beat me."

The usage of her old nickname seemed to calm Sophie down a bit. Hopefully she just thought this was all a game. That she wouldn't freeze up as soon as the ice crumbled around them. He glanced over at the two parents, who were still talking over plans for next Christmas. They were in the middle of organizing a Gala. Jack reminded himself not to use so much next time he had to do that. But he shook his head mentally. He had to decide what he was going to do with them. He was pushing himself in flying Jamie and Sophie to North's Workshop. If you add two grown adults into the situation, he would never be able to get out of Burgess in the first place.

He was just about to turn around and bash his head into the ice out of frustration, when suddenly there was a huge banging noise. Sophie screamed at once, the sound even causing Jack to jump out of his skin. He grabbed the little girl, drawing her close and hunching over the two kids, trying to shield them from the avalanche of ice. He braced himself, feeling Sophie curl into him, her form trembling. But after a moment, he realized that the igloo wasn't the thing that had caused the noise.

He straightened, eyes narrowing with confusion as he heard sounds of fighting. Yelps and shouts mashed together into a roar. Along with the panicked townsfolk outside the home, Jack had no way to distinguish what was going on. Sophie picked herself up from the ground, darting over and scooping up her stuffed Giraffe that had been abandoned beside her parents. She hugged it tight to her chest, looking at Jack with wide eyes. Through the ice, Jack could see shadows thrown against the wall, crumbling into black sand on the ground. Involuntarily, he tightened his hold on Jamie, holding him closer in an attempt to shield him. But he couldn't protect him from much, it looked like.

Suddenly, there was a large splitting noise, a large hole splitting through the roof of the igloo. Jack's eyes widened, head snapping up to look at the large gash. A Nightmare peered down into their fort, opening its mouth and giving another inhumane screech. Sophie screamed at once, Jack trying to decide whether or not he should let go of Jamie to fight. But there was a sudden flash of bright pink, the blur of color smacking into the Nightmare and scattering it into sand. Its screech died out at once, some of the grains spilling over and coating themselves onto Jack.

Tooth poked her head into the hole of the ice, coral eyes lightening considerably as she saw Jack. "Did we miss much?" She puffed, frowning towards the end of her sentence. Jack deadpanned a moment, a number of harsh words he could say lining up on the tip of his tongue. But then a wave of relief smashed into him so hard, he thought he would topple over. He could see North going berserk on a wave of Nightmares, Bunnymund's boomerang sailing over Tooth's head. They finally made it, and not a moment too soon.

"Not much." Jack answered curtly, afraid that his voice would break if he said anything else.

Tooth swooped easily into the igloo, turning and looking at Sophie with a jolt of sadness. "Tell me what I can do." She said anxiously, eyes searching Jack's own. If she knew what had happened before they came, she didn't hint at it. She didn't look like she knew that Jack had almost betrayed them. He let out a small sigh, looking from Sophie, to Jamie. His mind drew a blank for moment, he couldn't think straight when the two were in so much danger. There was only one thing on his mind, and that was to get these two out of danger at once. There was no question as to HOW or WHY. His frantic thoughts would only repeat that one sentence over and over in his head.

Finally, he managed to think straight. He nodded over to Sophie quickly, pushing himself into the air. Tooth blinked a moment, startled. But then she turned, reaching out and smiling before she too scooped up the girl in her arms, wincing slightly at the new weight. Jack managed to fit him and Jamie between the crack making it out alongside Tooth. "What about the parents?" Tooth asked, glancing back down at them.

"They're not our only problem right now." Jack said in a rush, shifting Jamie so that he had a free arm. He resealed the ice, making sure that it would hold up longer than it had before. "They'll be fine until we deal with the bigger issue." Tooth looked a little skeptic, but she didn't reply to his decision, only waiting for further instructions. Jack turned, surveying the scene carefully. North had almost wiped out all the Nightmares, but more and more kept flooding through the door, courtesy of Pitch. Bunnymund was up against a wall, bravely hacking away at line after line of shadows. He was doing fine so far, but he wouldn't last long. Sandy was outside, going against Pitch. The two ducked one another's blows, evenly matched blow for blow.

"We have to deal with the town, first." Jack said finally. Tooth blinked, starting with confusion. Jack gestured awkwardly to the direction where the screams were. "Those are kids in danger. Not only that, but the more those people are scared, the stronger Pitch gets. If we cut off the supply of power, all these monsters will be wiped out." Tooth's eyes lit up at the plan, nodding once. Jack went on, not finished. "You, me, and Sandy. We need to be the ones to go out there. We're the only ones who can fix what Pitch screwed up."

"What about the kids?" Tooth asked.

Sophie whimpered slightly, clinging tightly to Tooth. Jack shifted Jamie awkwardly to one arm, holding out his other to Tooth. Doubtful, the Fairy handed the girl over to him, Sophie changing so that she was nearly choking Jack around the neck. He staggered underneath the large weight, but he managed to avoid dropping into the crowd of nightmares. He skirted them with difficulty, flying over and hanging over Bunnymund with a wince. "Hey! Hey, Kangaroo!" He called sharply, Sophie shrieking as Jack nearly fell on top of the rabbit.

Bunnymund looked up, a shout already trying to get out of his mouth. But his expression cleared as he saw the stress that Jack was under. "Catch!" He managed, handing the kids down to the rabbit quickly. He caught them with a startled noise, juggling the two kids clumsily in his arms. He looked from Jack, to the Nightmares that were advancing, his expression saying something like: "You've got to be joking." "You're fastest!" Jack explained rapidly. "Keep those two out of harm's way! I have a plan, just make sure that no more shadows touch them!"

"I'm going to need a better explanation than that!" Bunny exclaimed.

"Well that's all you're getting right now, deal with it!" Jack yelled in a rush. "Just try to dodge! You're good at that!" The thinly veiled insult went unnoticed to the rabbit until Jack was out of the house, a very put-out yell echoing over to the Winter Sprite. He grabbed Tooth's hand tightly in his own, yanking her out of the house as she yelped. The two burst out into the blizzard, gasping for air. "Sandy!" Jack yelled sharply, the Guardian looking up from his battle quickly. He looked worn-out, but ready and willing to do anything. Pitch snarled at the sight of Jack unharmed, eyes blazing with anger. "C'mon! Leave Pitch there, I have a plan!" He yelled, not pausing before swerving around the Shadowy figure, heading into the thicker part of the neighborhood.

Sandy blinked, crafting a large tank out of sand, pushing it forward and watching with satisfaction as it knocked over Pitch, pinning him there. Before he could get himself out from underneath, the Guardian turned, catching up to the other two as they made for the center of town. Jack had to yell to be heard over the bangs and screams going on around them, turning back to look at the two following them. It felt weird to be the one making the plans, after all, he was the newest Guardian. But the words flew easily off his tongue, the plan forming itself in a heartbeat. "We don't have much time! Bunnymund can't protect the kids for very long without a hand to arm himself with!" Jack yelled, skirting around a parked car. "Sandy, your job is to try and overpower Pitch's nightmares! You have to send people better dreams! Pitch just discovered he was able to do this thing, so you should have a better handle on what you're doing!" The Sandman nodded once, determination settling in his eyes. Jack switched over to the Tooth Fairy. "You have to call some of your assistants!" He instructed. "You're going to give back peoples' teeth! Remind them of something better than all of this!"

"Got it!" She said stiffly.

"Alright, stop!" Jack yelled. The trio skidded to a neat halt, taking a few gulping breaths. "Alright. We're going to need to cast our powers over the whole town, so it's going to take a lot." Jack said. "But we should be able to make it work. After all, we are Guardians." The others nodded at his words, and Jack could tell that he'd given them enough encouragement. Tooth branched off from the two, flying away to meet her hummingbirds that were spilling over the horizon. Sandy and Jack exchanged a nod before they turned, back-to-back. "Here's hoping." Jack sighed a little breathlessly.

If this didn't work, he was probably going to explode on himself.

Sandy went to work at once. He took balls of sand, melding them into fairytale creatures and wondrous animals. Things like unicorns, dinosaurs, manta rays, kittens, puppies, and tigers. They all exploded from the Sandman in a blast of fantasy. They rushed away quickly, vanishing into homes and branching off at streets as if they knew the urgency of the situation themselves. Jack spotted Tooth's helpers splitting up, dashing into homes with bags full of baby teeth that had long ago been lost. The plan seemed to be working so far, or maybe Jack was just imagining the lack of screaming.

He sighed, clearing his thoughts of everything going on around him. None of that existed. The only thing that existed was the snow. He tried to focus on it, listing all the wonderful things about it he could name. Sledding. Snowball fights. Hot chocolate by the fire. Christmas. He forced all those things into his mind. He'd never tried to spread his blue sparkles over a large group of people, but it didn't seem all that different than normal. He concentrated a focused, willing himself to perform the feat. He threw his hands out in front of him with a sharp yell, blue sparks immediately shooting out from his hands. It spread wildly, flowing outwards like a river.

He opened his eyes and smiled widely.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

"North! You could come and help me over here!" Bunnymund yelped, having just finished his fortieth lap around the house. The Nightmares were right on his tail, he had no way to lash back at them as he juggled the two kids in his arms. Jamie was asleep still, face set into a firm grimace as he ducked into Bunny's fur. Sophie was shrieking loudly, right into Bunny's big ears. She had stopped wriggling -thank goodness- but she was really starting to set Bunny's ears ringing.

North hacked away another line of Nightmares, tripping and smacking into a table that was set against the hall. A photo of the family fell off from its perch, shattering apart against the ground. "Eh?" North grumbled, looking up from his fight for a moment. "I've got my hands full!" He shouted back, sounding a little more than frazzled. "Finish delivering the toys and this is what I get! I'm much too old for this job!"

"Come on, Frostbite." Bunny grumbled, snapping to attention as he dodged a flying Nightmare. "What's taking so long?" He wasn't aware of time, but Jack had left a while ago. They should be at least making a little progress by now, shouldn't they? His jaw locked backwards, the bunny turning and looking out the open door. "Hang on tight, kids! It's going to get a little snowy!" He yelled, the little girl wrapping her arms around his neck. She nearly choked him in the process, but Bunnymund paid no mind. The bunny gathered himself, then sprang off of the ground. He dodged Nightmares with a hopping expertise that one could only have from millions of years in practice. The cold winter wind cut through Bunny's fur at once, the rabbit shivering as he bounded out of the house. He had to get away from the nightmares. He didn't know how long Jack would take in doing his plan. Staying in the thick of things wasn't such a good idea.

He started to turn, trying to remember where the woods were from the house. But a voice called over to him, making him stop on the spot. "Oh, somebody's in a pickle." Pitch stood behind the Easter Bunny, yellow eyes cold as the winds. "Don't move, otherwise you'll get much more than you bargained for." Behind him, rows of gray horses whinnied threateningly, scuffing their hooves on the ground impatiently as they howled. Sophie gasped sharply, eyes wide at the sight.

But Bunny's eyes narrowed. Gray horses? Weren't they supposed to be black?

"Hand over the girl. And the boy." Pitch growled. "One snap, and these things will be on you before you can say: 'Let's color some eggs.'"

He set the kids down quickly, pushing them behind him as he stood in front of them protectively. Sophie started, reaching over and dragging Jamie closer to her. "Not a chance, Pitch." Bunnymund spat out, reaching behind him and drawing out his boomerang. "These kids are staying with us." He said firmly. He took aim, throwing his arms forward and shooting his weapon forward. It spun like a disk, heading straight for Pitch's head.

But the man turned into black vapor at the last moment, reforming as the boomerang shot off into the thick of the blizzard. He turned casually, waiting a heartbeat or two before he grinned, laughing. "Looks like it's not coming back." He said simply. His eyes glittered with amusement as he saw Bunny's confused look. "Now…I believe that you owe me a few kids. You'd best hurry, my Nightmares aren't very patient things. And once they loose control of themselves, I'm afraid there's no stopping them."

Bunny's eyes narrowed. But he was cornered. The kids were behind him. Even if he were able to turn back and grab them up, the Nightmares would be on them before he could even try to start running. His boomerang had disappeared into the storm, the bad weather must have caught it off-guard. He felt a flash of anger. "Frostbite!" He cursed under his breath. "First you cause a whole bunch of problems, and now you're stealing my weapons! Where are you, anyway?"

As if answering his question, his boomerang suddenly shot out of nowhere, heading right back for him. His eyes widened considerably, Pitch blinking as he turned, following the Guardian's gaze. But as soon as he turned back to look, the weapon collided with his forehead, a sickening sort of crunch following the collision. The shadowy form gaped, thrown backwards from the force of the impact. He smacked back with a plop into the snow, dazed as he stared up at the sky. Bunny reached out quickly, catching the boomerang deftly, looking stunned.

Jack, Sandy, and Tooth swooped forward out of the white of the storm, Jack having a smug grin on his face. He swooped forward, hanging upside-down in front of the Easter Bunny. "You called?" He prompted, blue eyes flashing. Bunnymund deadpanned at the boy, but that didn't seem to faze the Winter Sprite's mood. Jack flipped around, expression changing into a sharp glare as he looked down at Pitch. "Hey, Pitch!" He yelled, the man starting at the sound of his voice. He growled sharply, pushing himself up and glowering up at the teen.

Jack put his hands on his hips. "You lose." He growled. Turning to the house and the Nightmares, Jack sucked in a huge breath, letting it out with a loud whooshing noise. A winter wind picked up, stronger than all the others. It blew forward, ramming against the house and rushing through the open door. The Nightmares howled at this, their already-pale coats crumbling in the wind as they turned to sand. Pitch pushed himself upright, eyes flying wide as he let out an angered scream.

"NO!" He yelled.

It was then that Bunny noticed the silence. It was quiet. The screams and bangs that had come from the rest of the town had ceased. Jack's plan actually worked. Pitch's supply of power was cut off, and now he had run himself dry. North poked his head out from the house, looking confused. When his eyes landed on the other Guardians, he rushed out of the home, swords glinting in the sun. He skidded to a stop beside Tooth, looking at Pitch with a threatening look. He looked worn-out from his solo fight, and Bunny felt a little guilty that he had left the big guy to fight alone.

Jack spun around, locking eyes with Pitch and sizing up him. "You've been beaten, Pitch." Jack said, his voice the only noise other than the howling wind. "Admit defeat already!" He looked over at Jamie, who lay shivering in the snow. "Let Jamie go! NOW!" His hands balled into fists, and Bunny was surprised at how much emotion seemed to be coming off from the kid. His eyes burned into Pitch's, filled with fury. His hands trembled with contained anger, and heat rose up to color his face red.

He'd never seen Jack so worked up before.

Pitch narrowed his eyes, pausing. Silence reigned in the front yard, nobody volunteering to break the silence. But then Pitch laughed, snickering as he flashed the group a wide grin. Jack let out an angered yell. "Oh no, you don't!" He screamed, pushing off and aiming to tackle the man. But all he got was a face-full of snow. Pitch had vanished. Tooth gasped sharply, spinning around to try and relocate the shadow. Exclamation marks appeared over Sandy's head, North lashing out at the air with his swords. Bunny turned, making sure that the kids were untouched still.

"Sorry to leave on such short notice." Pitch's voice echoed over to them. Jack pushed himself up, looking like North with his face covered in snow. "But I have many affairs to check up on. This is far from over, my little Guardians. You may have won this one, but it's just a stepping stone! My plan is going perfectly!" He chuckled, then added. "And Jack…" The Guardians all turned to look at the Winter Sprite, who glared all around him as he tried to pinpoint Pitch's location. "You may want to rethink my proposition. If not, watch your step. I hear that kids deal very _badly _with nightmares!" Pitch started to cackle, high-pitched laughter that slowly died out. The Guardians all stared at one another quietly, not saying anything as the laughter got quieter and quieter.

Pretty soon, the place was absolutely silent.

Bunnymund was first to break it. He shook his head in confusion, turning and looking over at Jack, who was picking himself up from the snow angrily. "What did he mean, proposition?" He asked, voice slightly accusing. Jack shot a glare over at him, blue eyes looking drained and tired. Tooth caught sight of the boy's dead expression, feathers bushing up in defiance. She swooped down to Jack, helping him up from the ground. She shot a look similar to Jack's in Bunny's direction. A look that said: 'Can't you see how stupid that question was?' …He didn't, be he supposed that that was besides the point with the others.

"Never mind that." Tooth snapped. "We have to decide what we're going to do next. Pitch made it clear that he isn't finished. We managed to save the town, but just barely." She flashed a quick look over at Jack. "It's thanks to Jack that we did anything. He held everything together until we got here. I'm sure Pitch is just trying to divide lines between us." Jack stuffed his hands inside his sweatshirt, looking over at Jamie, downcast. Tooth went on fixedly. "We have to decide what to do. Jamie is still in trouble, and the whole town is asleep now."

The Guardians exchanged confused looks, Jack stepping forward. "We can't just leave Jamie here." He said firmly. "Or Sophie. Don't you remember how Jamie was our last light last time Pitch came and attacked?" He demanded. "Well, so does Pitch! He'll want revenge! And if Jamie's belief was strong enough to keep us going, then it's certainly strong enough to be capable of destroying us! A hospital can't take care of Jamie. Only we can. And we owe it to him."

Sophie held on tightly to her brother, looking around like she expected to see more Nightmares.

Bunny sighed. "Kid has a point." He said simply. He looked down at Jamie, who still looked as if he were in pain. He let out a small whimper in his sleep, Bunnymund feeling a prick at his heart. "There's no better place for the scrap than with us." Jack blinked, looking faintly surprised to have gotten his first support from the Easter Bunny. With a jolt, realizing what he had just done, Bunny backtracked. "I mean- if we can figure out what to do with the parents." He covered up quickly.

He didn't want to look like he cared for Jack.

But the Winter Sprite gave a small smile in his direction.

Tooth wrung her hands together nervously. "Should we take them, too?" She asked.

North shook his head. "Pitch would not exploit them like he would the children." He said. "But…they will be missing their kids." He flashed a pointed look at Sophie, giving her a warm smile. The blonde blinked, shying away from his look as she stared down at the snow. North then turned his look over to Sandy. "You will keep them asleep until we get this mess sorted out." He said firmly. "It is better for them to be absent during this time."

"Not the same as Jamie, right?" Jack demanded.

Sandy looked a little offended as he stared at North. But the man shook his head. "No. They will not know they've been asleep." He looked down to Sandy. "When they wake up, they'll feel absolutely normal. Like nothing happened." Sandy shrugged, nodding, as if saying: 'Sure, I can do that. No problem.' He turned, heading back into the house without a word. Of course it was without a word, it was Sandy. North swept his gaze over the remaining people, giving a slow nod. "We have much to discuss." He said haltingly. "But we have much to do before that."

Jack moved quickly, rushing over to Sophie and crouching down in front of her. As soon as he did so, Sophie jumped up, wrapping her hands around Jack's neck and snuggling into the Guardian, looking for comfort. "Hey, Squirt." Jack shushed, hugging her tightly. "You okay?" He asked, craning his neck so that he could take in Jamie's account as well. He drew back slightly, grinning widely. "Aw, man, Sophie! You were _amazing_!" The girl blinked with surprise at this, pointing dumbly to herself. "You were bouncing all over the place, flying everywhere!" Jack waved his arms high in the air, making wide gestures. "You could have taken on that whole army single-handedly! We barely needed to even be there!"

Sophie giggled, brightening a tad as she grinned shyly.

Jack turned, taking Jamie in his arms and trying his best to shield him from the snow. "Okay, Sophie. You and Jamie are going to come with us, okay? You can live at the Workshop! Wont that be cool?"

Sophie blinked slowly. "…Will you be there?" She asked, voice small.

Jack smiled gently. "Of course I will." He said softly. "I'll always be with you, Squirt. You and Jamie."

The other Guardians watched this exchange without saying a word. This was a side of Jack that they hadn't seen. Changing so quickly from furious to gentle, it was something that blew them away. They all knew that Jack was fond of kids, but they hadn't known his affection went this far. Tooth's eyes were oddly sad at this, the Fay turning to look at the spot where Pitch had disappeared. She remembered the fervent prayer she had sent up to the moon so long ago. Her wish that this would blow over soon.

That this would all be nothing.

And looking at the way Jack cared so much for both Sophie and Jamie, she wished the same prayer again, more fiercely than ever before.

But this time, she knew better.

This was not going to end soon.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

A/N: Whew! Barely made this out~!

Hope I did well with this chapter! ^^

With all the whistling in the beginning, Jack was trying to do his best in contacting the others~


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! I love getting feedback SO much~! : )

I hope that you all are enjoying the story! And will continue to do so ^^

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

The sleigh ride back to North's Workshop was dead silent. Even Sophie didn't make a sound, her green eyes were sullen as she snuggled up close to Jack Frost. The Guardian held her tightly to his side, watching anxiously in case turbulence caused the small girl to topple over. His blue eyes bored deeply into Bunnymund, who was the one cradling Jamie in his arms. The boy was still asleep, shaking more violently than he had been before, it seemed. Every so often, Bunny would have to jerk forward to keep him from slipping out of his hold. Every time it happened, Jack would make a move to spring forward. But Bunnymund always managed to keep his hold on the kid, Jack biting back his offer to help as he went back to making sure he had a hold on the girl leaning up against him.

Sophie did not comment on anything. She didn't say anything about how the scenery around them changed from crowded streets, to a barren world of snow. She did not giggle excitedly at the trip, or offer to play any kind of game to pass the time like she normally would. She didn't even question the Guardian's motives, or ask about what her parents would do now that she wasn't with them. She merely stayed glued to Jack's side, gripping his arm tightly as her eyes strayed to Jamie every once and a while.

The Guardians didn't speak either. Which was a little odd, considering that now was the time they needed to talk the most. They had to figure out what they were going to do in retaliation to Pitch, or whether they would do anything at all. Jamie's parents couldn't stay asleep forever, and neither could the boy. Not if Jack had anything to say about it. They had no plan whatsoever, or at least not a plan that Jack was aware of. And now they had two kids in their tow. It looked like they had no idea what to do from this point on. And that might be a little dangerous…for a number of reasons.

North's Workshop started to show itself as the sleigh cleared over a large mountain. It shone brightly, millions of different-colored lights flashing through the windows and lighting up the snow around it. Jack straightened at the odd sight, eyes narrowing with confusion. The Sleigh got closer to the large workshop, heavy music managed to the passengers' ears. Frost mentally slapped himself in the face as he realized what was probably going on. North let out a deep fit of laughter as he made to land the sleigh. "Looks like my workers are celebrating." He commented, trying to lift the mood. "After all, it is Christmas!"

Nobody replied.

Jack glared over in the direction of North, feeling Sophie's bottom lip start to quiver. "Yeah." He said shortly, giving him a mean smile. "Merry Christmas, buddy." He offered.

North soured, turning away with a rather offended look.

After a few more minutes of tense silence, North finally managed to land the sleigh. The icy room that the vehicle was stored in seemed to get a little bit colder in the presence of Jack Frost, Bunny giving a pointed sneeze as he hopped quickly out of the Sleigh. He hated flying, but this time he'd managed to sit still, it looked like. Or at least Jack hoped that was case; he was the one carrying Jamie, after all. Tooth flashed Jack a look as she started to get up after North, looking somewhat torn. But Jack waved her off quickly, knowing that she wouldn't be much help anyway. Sophie only wanted him right now.

Her mouth set in a firm line, the fairy being overcome with a sort of hurt look. But she turned before Jack could try and say anything to her, wings flitting out at her sides as she rushed after the others. North turned back to look at Jack, who hadn't moved from his seat. "Meet us at Globe." He said, eyes going down to rest momentarily on Sophie. Jack nodded once, watching as the man turned, going and exiting through the door with the other Guardians. For a moment, it was silent once more. Nobody else was in the room besides him and Sophie, the only noise was the girl's shaky breathing.

Finally, Jack got up the nerve to break the quiet.

"Alright, Squirt." He said warmly, getting up from his seat and slipping out of the girl's embrace. Sophie blinked rapidly as he crouched down in front of her, eyes darting around anxiously as if she just realized where she was. "We're gonna head inside now, isn't that awesome?" He said, optimism coming off of him naturally. "How many kids can say that they've been inside Santa's workshop, hmm? That's right, not too many. You're like a VIP here!"

Sophie blinked again, not replying.

"VIP means Very Important Person." Jack clarified matter-of-factly.

"…Will you be with me?" She asked, reaching out yet again for her Guardian. Jack sighed mentally, wincing. He couldn't talk with the Guardians with her there, she would just become even more upset over the whole situation. But it was bad enough her brother was being taken away from her. If Jack was taken as well, she'd just become more depressed. And the thought of Sophie depressed made Jack's skin crawl.

He opened his mouth to reply, when suddenly he stopped, looking faintly surprised as he craned his neck to look around Sophie. The blonde turned to follow his gaze, a small gasp of awe coming from her as she did so. A large yellow airplane was making its way right for them, sand flying out behind it like show smoke. Sandy sat at the wheel, waving his arm in a wide arc as he caught sight of the pair. Jack reached over, grabbing Sophie's arm and pulling her gently out of the sleigh. He held her close to himself as the sand-crafted plane made a much neater landing than the sleigh had before. Sandy maneuvered forward ever so slightly, the mode of transport poofing apart as soon as it touched the icy ground.

The Sandman settled perfectly in place, the remains of his airplane raining down around him like rain. The grains swooped down around Sophie and Jack, the blonde leaning a little bit more heavily on her Guardian as she let out a loud yawn. Jack looked down at her a heartbeat before changing his gaze back to Sandy. He had stayed back to deal with the kids' parents and do one last check around Burgess as the others took the two children to safety. The Winter Sprite studied the shorter man's face anxiously, not daring to ask the question aloud to alert Sophie.

But Sandy gave a thumb's-up in Jack's direction, nodding firmly. He didn't look disappointed, so it must have gone over pretty easily. Against himself, Jack sighed as a wave of relief washed over him. At least that part of the situation could slip his mind as of right now. He had a million other worries right now that needed his attention. "So you got the parents in a good spot?" Jack whispered, eyes glancing down to Sophie, who was starting to doze off from the dose of sand she had gotten. "They'll be safe?"

Sandy tapped the side of his head, raising his eyebrows.

Jack hoped that that meant something good.

He turned swiftly, reaching down tenderly and scooping up Sophie tightly in his arms. The blonde turned, burying her face into the boy's sweatshirt. Her green eyes fluttered, like she was trying to keep them open. Jack smiled warmly, laughing underneath his breath. "C'mon, kid." He said. "Let's see if we can find you a room to sleep in for tonight." He offered, shifting so that Sophie was in a more comfortable position. The girl snuggled into his chest, letting out a small whine.

"I'm not tired." She mumbled weakly.

"Sure you aren't." Jack said, putting on his best grin. He was running out of time, the others were waiting for him. And the longer he took, the worse of he would be in the end. Before all of this, he remembered how close he had been to ignoring the Guardians, how easily he could have spent more time with both Jamie and Sophie. But now he knew that the others weren't just worrying over something small. This wasn't an overreaction. This was something much bigger than that.

Jack threw a look back over at Sandy. "The others are at the Globe. They're waiting, most likely." He said, passing on North's message to the late-comer. "We're gonna meet there and talk as soon as I tie up this loose end." He said, adjusting his hold on the girl in his arms. Sandy looked from Sophie to Jack, then gave a small shrug, giving out another grin. He looked at Jack steadily, nodding once. It was as if he were giving Jack some sort of recognition.

The boy offered a weak smile in return, watching as Sandy turned, going through the door and shutting it behind him. The music and lights had stopped in the inside of the Workshop, it looked like. North must have put a stop to the end-of-year party. Jack would have more sympathy for the elves and Yetis if not for the pickle they all were in now. A party wasn't too high on their priority list. He shook himself clear of the thoughts, forcing himself to concentrate on the task at hand.

He didn't know whether or not North had any 'Guest Rooms.' Quote, unquote. The Elves and Yetis had to have some kind of place to sleep in when they were through with working. But somehow, Jack didn't feel right sticking Sophie in with a bunch of odd people she didn't know. He needed a place for her to sleep that made her feel safe. Some kind of place where there might be enough room for him to stay with her after he finished talking with the other Guardians.

Immediately, he remembered that room filled with unwanted Christmas presents. Was it still filled? He doubted that North would have had a passing moment to empty that giant space. Tightening his hold on the nearly-asleep Sophie, Jack went over quickly to the door, managing to throw it open sloppily and step through. Paper plates and crushed soda cans were littered around the halls, a remaining signal of the abrupt halt of a party. A delicious-looking cake and an assortment of snacks were resting on tables that were lined up. It seemed like a lot of hype for and end-of-work fiesta.

But it seemed like it would have been a pretty awesome party.

It took him a little while to find the room. He passed by Yetis that were busily cleaning up after themselves, and some Elves that were busily blaming one another for their shortened night. Let's just say that Jack knew why the Yetis were the more dependable ones here now. Their eyes went to him as the teenager carried Sophie bridal-style through the halls, but neither of the workers tried to stop him. They just observed him as he went on his way, watching carefully as if were some interesting Soap Opera on the television. He did his best to ignore them, locking his jaw backwards angrily as he glided through the air.

Finally, he managed to retrace his steps from before. The door was opened slightly, and Jack felt a nervous clutch at his throat at the thought of it being emptied already. But as he shouldered the door the rest of the way open, he calmed down as he realized that nothing had changed. His hunch had been correct in North being too busy to clean it out. The mountain of presents and unopened gifts were strewn throughout the grand space. Jack shut the door softly behind him, leaning over and setting Sophie down on the ground. "Hang tight, Squirt." He said, sighing as the weight he had been carrying was relieved. "I'm gonna see if there's anything in this giant place for you to use. I'm pretty sure there should be something."

Sophie stumbled a bit, eyes half-closed as she watched Jack sleepily. Her green eyes were a little misted over, but she managed to stand upright, hugging herself tightly. She stared as Jack zoomed around the room, sorting through the mass of abandoned objects, muttering to himself as he went. She sniffed tiredly, blinking as she started to turn a slow circle. She seemed to be a little lost, lower lip puckering out as she rubbed her eyes. "…Wha-" Sophie sounded confused suddenly, blinking rapidly as she tried to wake herself up more.

"Hey, Sophie!" Jack called out, ripping out a plastic package from underneath a large pile of wrapped gifts. He grimaced as the small pile of presents was tipped, the boxes tumbling down in a large clutter to the ground. "…That didn't happen." He mumbled, eyes sliding over to closed door. He waited for some kind of toymaker (he was still kinda confused on who exactly made the toys) to stomp inside and demand explanations, but nobody tried to come inside. Whether it was because nobody was around to hear it, or whether they knew they probably didn't want to get into all this jazz, he had no idea. It was probably a little bit of both, actually. But Jack shook it off, getting over the shock of the sudden fall before going back down to the girl. "I found a sleeping bag, but I think that's it." He glanced over the pounds of unused gifts, sweat dropping. "Well, at least…that's all I could find."

And I have to get going, like…right now.

"Where is she?" Sophie pouted.

Jack blinked, ready to start freaking out. "Where is who?" He asked hurriedly, looking around.

"My Giraffe!" She wailed, tears beading up at the corners of her eyes.

Jack let out the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. He cursed mentally at himself, his frayed nerves slowly building themselves back together. "Gee, Squirt, I think you left it back on the sleigh." He said, giving her a small grin. He looked back down to the package he held, popping it open with ease. A bright orange sleeping bag rolled out immediately, Jack slipping it out quickly and laying it down on the ground. He was amazed that there was space. "I couldn't manage to find a pillow, but I think this is fluffy enough. I don't know whether or not you'll really need one. You can-"

"Can you get me my Giraffe?" Sophie whimpered, hands little balls at her sides.

Jack blinked, caught off-guard as he straightened with surprise. He looked at the girl a little oddly. "Uh…sure, Squirt." He finally managed, shaking himself out of it. Sophie was so upset all because of him. He least he could do was go get her the toy. "Tell you what. You lay down in here and start to go to sleep." He patted the sleeping bag invitingly as he spoke, the girl's eyes flashing down to the comfortable sleep sack. "I have to go talk to a few people," Sophie's eyes grew large at the prospect of being alone. "and then I can come back here. I'll pick up your Giraffe on the way." He promised.

Sophie's hands wrung together nervously, biting her lower lip.

"Don't worry, Soph." Jack smiled, going over and picking her up once more. She was heavy, he had to give her that. He drew her closer to the camper, leaning over and unzipping it. "I'll make sure that there will be a few people watching over you while I'm gone. You'll be perfectly fine, don't worry your little head about anything, okay?" He asked.

Sophie did not say anything, merely going down and slipping into the sleeping bag like a fish. She immediately curled up into a ball, sniffling pathetically on the floor. Jack sighed sadly, reaching over and drawing his hand comfortingly across her forehead. The girl shivered at the touch, but her green eyes flew up to lock with Jack's own. Fear shown clear in her green orbs, the sight clawing at Jack's heart viciously.

This was what Pitch was looking for.

And it seemed like he was getting what he wanted.

"Sophie, you have to promise me something." Jack said finally. The girl perked a little at this, looking a little more awake by now as she looked up to him. "You have to promise that you'll be brave for me." The Guardian of Fun went on, stroking her hair as he tried to get her to feel better. "I know it's a lot for a little girl to take in." He said, wincing. "But this is a really big deal. Just…promise that you'll stay with us. And you'll trust us. Because we're going to help you, I swear."

Sophie looked confused. She probably had no idea what Jack was talking about. But she nodded.

"Good." Jack said, flashing her a smile. "I know you can be very brave, Sophie. And I'm so proud of you, okay?" His eyes softened after a pregnant pause. "When I grow up, I want to be just like you."

But Sophie shook her head. "No." She said in a hush. "Then you would be scared."

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

Jack was usually subdued as he came back to the other Guardians. They were busy talking amongst themselves, a small argument seeming to have erupted between them. Bunny was still holding Jamie, the boy's eyes screwed shut tightly. There seemed to be two sides of the argument, Tooth and Sandy standing across from North and Bunnymund. They all looked angered at the other side, glaring and staring each other down. But as Jack came in to the room, they snapped out of it at once, all eyes going to him. The place was silent, and it just occurred to Jack that there were absolutely no Yetis or Elves anywhere around.

North must have sent them all away so they could talk.

"Is she okay?" Tooth asked, being the first to speak.

"Sophie?" Jack asked, feeling more flustered than usual. Everything seemed to be happening so fast. He felt so confused, he was amazed he could walk in a straight line by now. He forced all his other emotions down, burying the thoughts angrily. He took in a deep breath, counting to ten before he let it out. If any of the other Guardians thought this was weird, they didn't comment. A wise decision. "Yeah….she's fine." He sighed. "I got some of the Yetis to stand in front of her door, but I'm not sure how much of use they'll be if anything goes wrong." He said, North twitching angrily at this. Jack shook his head, "Let's just be quick. I want to be by her. And Jamie, too." He added, eyes flashing to the boy anxiously.

"What, do you think this is a problem that can be fixed in one sitting?" Bunny asked scathingly.

Jack gritted his teeth tightly. "That's not what I meant." He growled. "I just said that we don't have to argue." He added pointedly, looking crossly from one side to another. Tooth blinked, wings drooping guiltily at this, blush appearing across her cheeks. "If we start fighting, we'll just making everything harder. These kids are depending on us, as well as every other single kid out there in the entire world. Pitch said that his plan was going perfectly. That meant that he had wanted us to defeat him at Burgess."

"How do you know he wasn't just saying that?" Tooth asked.

But Jack only shook his head. "Pitch wouldn't." He said simply. "I think something else is happening right now. Something that we aren't expecting, but is right in front of our noses." Jack's hand drummed anxiously against his thigh. Frustration welled up inside him suddenly, swamping him with a sudden rush of fury. His hand shot upwards, more or less smacking himself in the head as he mussed up his hair impatiently.

"I don't know what's going on!" He yelled, voice raising in volume rapidly. The others jumped with faint surprise, eyes widening as Jack raged. "Jamie is asleep, nobody can wake him up! Pitch is out there doing who-knows-what! Sophie is scared, which helps Pitch! I-I just-" He huffed out a loud breath of air. "I don't know what we're supposed to do…" He sighed tiredly, anger dripping off of his voice to be replaced with weariness. He looked up at the other Guardians, blue eyes pleading with them. "Does anybody have any idea on what to do?" He asked softly.

For a moment, nobody said anything. But then oddly enough, Bunny was the one to answer him. "We use Sandy's powers to help the mite." He said, nodding down to the bundle he held in his arms. Jack's heart tore open painfully as he looked down to Jamie, blue eyes heavy with grief. It was as if he were already at the boy's funeral. "If Sandy can find a way to change the kid's nightmares, then we cut off at least some of Pitch's power, right?"

Tooth gave a nod. "If Pitch got most of his powers from Jamie, then most of them can be taken away if Jamie wakes up." She looked up at Jack, giving him an encouraging smile. Her eyes said what she wouldn't: "Everything is going to be fine, Jack. Don't worry." But he was going to worry. He was going to worry a lot. He looked over at Sandy, breath catching in his throat suddenly at the sight of him. All of their hope was going to be rested on one single person.

What if it didn't work?

"But." Bunnymund said flatly, attention being snapped back to him at once. He held Jamie a little tighter to himself, eyes narrowing as he looked Jack Frost up and down. "What Pitch said before still has my fur brushed up the wrong way." He said. "And that was what he said about your little proposition he had with you." He took a step closer to Jack, as if debating. "Can you tell us just what that little statement was about?"

Jack flared up at once. "Are you doubting me?" He yelled. "After all I've done!?"

"That's a terrible thought!" Tooth yelled, springing to the boy's defense.

Jamie tossed and turned at their yelling, Bunnymund having to basically juggle the child to try and keep him up in his arms. But he still managed to throw a sour look at Jack in the meantime. "If it was nothing, then you can just tell us!" He retorted, eyes flashing. "Or do you have a reason to keep your mouth shut?" His tone dropped suspiciously. "Do you know more about this little 'unknown plan?' Are you up to something?" He questioned dangerously.

"Bunny, you-" Tooth fumed, seeming too angry for words. "You…you just-"

"Stop." Jack snapped over in Tooth's direction. The Fairy jerked with surprise, blinking rapidly as she looked at Jack, miffed. But Jack wasn't paying attention to her, his furious eyes trained on to Bunnymund. North and Sandy were standing by one another now. Whatever argument they had before Jack came here, it seemed to dissolve in the heat of this newfound quarrel. They stood off to the side, eyes watching carefully as they gauged the situation. But Frost was not nerved by this. He took a deep breath, calming himself before he could say something he regretted.

He looked at Bunnymund very seriously, eyes brimming with a certain kind of pain. "Pitch said that if I joined his forces, he would spare Burgess." He spat out, Bunnymund's eyes still glaring holes into his own. "He said that if I helped him do whatever the HECK he's planning, not everybody I care about would die!" He jabbed a finger over at Jamie, the place going absolutely silent as even Bunnymund became much more sober than before. Jack was shaking by now, trying to get out clear words. "…But I'm a Guardian. Like it…or not." Jack hissed.

"I told him no." He went on. "I told him that I know where I belonged, and that nothing he would ever say would change my mind. Kids are counting on me, and I can't let them down. That's not the way I think, much as you don't like to see." Jack said, glaring sourly at Bunnymund. "So I turned him down." He paused, hanging his head and letting out a gusty huff, suddenly exhausted. "I made the right choice." He whispered harshly. "I know I did. I couldn't give myself over to Pitch. It would have ruined everything…"

His blue eyes flashed over to Jamie briefly, the teen jerking as he turned away swiftly. His shoulders hunched, and he started to walk away. "It was the right choice." He repeated firmly, as if confirming the statement. "…he knew I would make it. He knew what I would choose. So he made sure that the consequences would be too much for me to handle." He stood still a moment, before turning and glaring tearfully over at Bunnymund. The rabbit looked overwhelmed, in shock as he stared at Jack with his mouth open. "You don't need to worry about me getting in your way." He snapped. "I've made my choice."

He looked back down to Jamie. Then turned, closing his eyes tightly before shooting off.

He was gone in less than an instant.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

Jack was halfway back to where Sophie was before he remembered to double back and find her stuffed animal. He did so gratefully. He had to stop and calm himself down before he went back in there with Sophie. He could feel the hot watermarks that tears had left on his cheeks, the boy wiping them off roughly as he grumbled underneath his breath. Embarrassment flooded through him like a hot rush of steam, and by the time that Jack got back to the sleigh, he hadn't really done such a great job of getting his mind off of things.

He jumped up into the sleigh, sighing as he scanned the ground for the little stuffed Giraffe. He was touched that it meant so much to Sophie. After all, she would rather ask and wait for that one toy than go and play with the large assortment of toys in the room she was staying in. That place was bigger than any kind of toy store in the world. It could keep a kid busy for years. He hoped the reason for her love for the thing was because he had given it to her, which was wishful thinking. It was probably because it was just so cute.

He finally located it, the small animal having rolled into one of the farther corners of the vehicle. He stooped down, reaching forward with a small grimace and drawing it out from its hiding place. Rather than getting up and going back to Sophie, the boy sat down glumly, head resting in the palm of his hand as he studied the toy. What makes you so special? he wondered. It was just something that he had picked up from the ground, basically. Something that had slipped his mind that he needed to get rid of. An 'Early Christmas Present.'

He sat like that for a few minutes, waving the Giraffe around with a somewhat bored expression. Like he was waiting for it to do something. But he guessed that he didn't see it. Or maybe he wasn't doing the right thing with it. Kids found treasure in the simplest things, what did it matter the reason for it? He was just tired. He could feel the way that his body tried to drag him down, begging him to stop moving and just lay down. He sighed, stuffing the Giraffe away into his sweatshirt as he grabbed his staff, using it as a prop to help get himself up.

He turned back, going over to the door and shutting it behind him.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

A/N: A lot of elements that will be key later in the story are hidden in this chapter. You've got to read it carefully and decide which might be which ;)

Anyway, this chapter is shorter than most. Just seven pages. It's building up to the main problem in the story, which will be a HUGE problem. (coughcough)

I hope I get a lot of reviews for this one, and I hope that you all will continue to read on : )

Please and thank you~! ^^


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thank you once again for all the fabulous reviews! I love every single of you! :D

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

The early morning sunlight finally burst its way up from the snowy horizon, bright pink glow shedding its light across the tens and thousand of crystals that blanketed the ground. It slanted through the grand windows of North's Workshop, lighting up the large building and calling everybody up to their feet. Winter birds chirped loudly, as if proclaiming the start of yet another day. Their calls echoed plainly throughout the still air, the noises leaking through the walls of the factory like an alarm. Yetis and Elves roused themselves from sleep, walking groggily through the halls with sour expressions.

It was one thing to have your party cancelled. But to get up early the day after just to start work all over again? It was plainly obvious that it didn't slide all too well with them.

Jack blinked open his eyes slowly, grimacing away from the harsh sunlight with a small grumble of complaint. He blinked, pupils dilating as they adjusted to the new light. He perked, blue eyes flashing as intelligence slowly came back to him. He started to push himself up, wincing at the stiffness in his shoulders and his back, when he realized that he couldn't. Sophie's arms were locked around his waist tightly, her face snuggled deeply into his plush sweatshirt as she snored.

Jack winced, gritting his teeth as he ducked out from the little girl's grasp. Sophie clawed at the air unconsciously for a heartbeat, before giving up. She went slack once more, curling up and twisting into an awkwardly-comfortable position. Her blonde hair was tangled and mussed up from sleeping, a small line of drool marking down her chin. Jack blinked, eyes softening at the sight of her asleep.

It was much different from Jamie being in his slumber. She looked peaceful, and content. Jack hoped with all his heart that Sandy would pay special heed to Sophie, to make sure that she was safe and sound from the nightmares. It was bad enough that Jamie was in danger; if his sister shared his fate, he was sure that he'd go insane. The thought struck him a little harder in the chest than it should have; the Winter Sprite jerked awake rapidly as a thought slammed into him.

Jamie.

He'd been so preoccupied last night, he didn't even try to be with the boy. He was too busy trying to put Sophie back together and making sure that the blonde was alright. Immediately, Jack started to push himself up to his feet, already feeling his joints scream at him in objection. He'd slept on the floor last night after Sophie had rolled over, taking up all the room in the sleeping bag. The ground didn't substitute very well for a fluffy mattress, it seemed. And as Jack righted himself into a standing position, he wondered dimly if he had slept on a hard toy. A very particular part of his lower back ached, like he'd rested on a toy airplane or something along the lines of that.

He started quickly over to the door, when he hesitated. He threw a look over his shoulder, back down to Sophie. The little girl was still asleep, too tired to have heard the Guardian get up, or feel him pull away from her. Her eyes flickered back and forth underneath her eyelids, the girl shifting and moving in whatever kind of dream she had engrossed herself into. Jack didn't feel right leaving her. He was too _scared _to leave her. He didn't know what he would do with her later, but he'd feel better if she came along with him for now.

At least he would know she wasn't asleep that way.

The Winter Guardian pushed forwards, hovering over an inch above the ground, tilting his head to the side and biting his lower lip for a heartbeat. He reached out tentatively, putting his hand on her shoulder and shaking gently. The girl let out a faint mumble of irritation, turning over and nestling deeper into her sleeping bag. Jack sighed, smiling despite himself. Throughout everything that was happening right now, heaven forbid that Sophie would be pushed to get up early in the morning.

His eyes flickered up to the tall windows on the other side of the room. The sun was making quick progress in getting up to the sky; Jack could hear machinery switch on throughout the Factory as Yetis and Elves set to work. It had to be around six or seven in the morning. It wasn't too early. He looked back down, giving Sophie another shake, this time putting more force into the movement. "C'mon, Squirt." He sighed as the girl's eyes fluttered open. They were sticky with sleep, green orbs fuzzy as they stared uncomprehendingly at Jack.

"Hey." Jack chirped, grinning widely down at the sleepy child. "You're finally up!" He said, even though normal kids never got up at this hour. Sophie looked at him a little angrily, sour, as if she was confused. Like she didn't know why Jack was waking her up at seven when it was Winter Break. But then she started, looking around at the cluttered room around them, blinking rapidly. She pushed herself up, the covers of the sleeping bag wrinkling around her as she moved. She looked around, a small crease in her forehead getting deeper and deeper as her eyes scanned the area around her. She started to frown, a misty sort of look coming over her eyes as they started to well up.

But Jack interjected quickly. "Alright, Soph! What're you so upset over?" The girl turned, lower lip trembling slightly as she turned over to look at the boy. He gave her an encouraging smile. "We've got the whole day to do whatever we want!" He said, silently cursing himself repeatedly. This wasn't some sort of stupid vacation they were on. The longer they wasted time, the worse things would be off in the end. But he couldn't stand to see Sophie so upset. "I'd imagine that we could whip up a pretty darn good breakfast in a place like this, don't you think?" He egged.

Sophie blinked slowly, thinking through it. "…Breakfast?" She echoed, reaching up and rubbing her eyes roughly with her wrist.

"Yup." Jack said, reaching over and helping her up to her feet. The girl stumbled a little, shaking her head back and forth as she tried to wake herself up better. He turned, grabbing her hand tightly and pulling her along towards the door. "The 'Most Important Meal of the Day.' The thing that comes before Lunch and Dinner?" He prompted, earning a small hum of laughter from the child. "Is this the first time you've had Breakfast? Or do I need to go into more detail?"

Sophie giggled, holding tight to Jack's hand with her right palm and clutching her Giraffe in her left. The toy bounced back and forth as the two made their way out of the room, Sophie turning back and surveying the large space before they could step out through the door. Jack stopped, perking with interest as he let his hand linger on the doorknob. He stared at Sophie oddly, mind immediately flying to possible things that could be wrong. His eyes flew up to the rows of unused toys, narrowing them as he tried to find something off in the room. But he came up with nothing.

Finally, Sophie gave a small little smile. "Can we come back and see what else is in here?" She asked, Jack's shoulders slumping with relief quite visibly. Her green eyes looked a little less weighted-down as she gave her suggestion. She turned back over to Jack, looking a little bit better than she had a moment before. "We can play together…maybe we can get Jamie to play, too?" She said the words a little cautiously, eyes drooping a little. It was like she expecting her friend to refuse.

The thought almost struck home; Jack had to meet with the other Guardians and decide what they were going to do further. The thing that they were _supposed _to do last night. But with everything that had happened last night, looking back on it, it seemed like a dumb idea to think that they could have gotten through a meeting without biting each other's heads off. The outcome should have been expected, in hindsight. But now that it was a new day, there was sure to be some kind of awkwardness now. Especially with Bunnymund. The Rabbit proved himself not to be the type to 'forgive and forget' what with his being angry at Jack for making it snow on Easter a million years ago.

And yet, if they couldn't manage to work together now, how could they later? When everybody was counting on them, they would be too busy yelling back and forth. The image sent a small tingling of fear through his body, lodging up inside his throat and creating a hard lump. He tried to choke it back rapidly, Sophie staring up at the older teen with expectance. She was still waiting for him to answer. Jack gave a simple shrug, not wanting to lie to her entirely. "Maybe." He answered vaguely, giving a small crooked grin in her direction. "There sure is a lot of stuff in here. It would take somebody days to go through it all."

Sophie nodded in agreement, turning back and looking over the piles with a sudden sense of longing. Jack felt a flash of guilt, thoughts flying back to when the little girl was opening her presents yesterday. She'd gotten so many wonderful gifts that she was so happy about. And now she'd never be able to play with them, considering her house was now in shambles. Jamie was asleep, he didn't even get to open his presents. Christmas had been just a day ago, but it felt like years. So much has happened in such a little amount of time that Jack could feel himself getting a tiny bit dizzy.

He leaned over against the door, taking a moment for himself now that Sophie was distracted. He closed his eyes, trying to remember how to stand up straight without keeling over. The pressure of the situation seemed to slam down on his shoulders all at once. He had to save Jamie, he had to make sure that Sophie stayed as ignorant to the situation as possible, he had to make sure that the world was safe from Pitch, and he had to live with the fact that he had put people in danger by not pairing up with the Boogeyman.

Simple.

Sophie perked at the sudden silence, turning back towards him. Immediately, Jack forced himself to brighten, turning rapidly and throwing open the door. His hearing proved to be correct as him and Sophie emerged into the Factory. Work was in full-swing, though not nearly as much as it had been a few days ago. There were no Yetis rushing around with piles of presents in their hands, nor were there any that were sprinting trying to get their last-minute work done. This work was relaxed, the walkways cleared as workers stayed at their stations leisurely. The smell of coffee was in the air, and Jack could see a few coworkers exchanging small talk as they snapped a model train together with ease.

"The day after Christmas must be really dull." Jack commented as he pulled Sophie along, keeping her close. The girl stared wide-eyed around at the Yetis, looking a mix between fear and awe. Jack had told both her and Jamie about the Yetis and the Elves that were workers for North, but they had never seen them before. They hadn't seen any part homes, for any of the Guardians, save for Sophie and her stumbling into the Burrow. But other than that, they'd only heard stories and descriptions from Jack, who was quite the storyteller. But looking at Sophie now, he started to doubt his skills at recollecting things. She looked very caught off-guard.

"Hey, it's alright." He said comfortingly. "These guys would never hurt a fly." He leaned down close to the girl's ear, his next words coming out in a hushed whisper. "They're really soft." Sophie jerked with surprise, turning and looking at Jack with confusion. He merely winked back at her in reply, smirking mischievously. "They're a bunch of weenies."

An angry growl echoed over to them, Jack immediately halting in his walk, mouth setting into a small purse as he snatched his head back up. One of the Yetis stood off to the side, eyes narrowed dangerously as it glowered over in his direction. It held a baseball bat in his hands, slapping the blunt end of it against his hand threateningly. Its eyes flashed as it met Jack's gaze, a recognition going through them as they looked at each other. Which wouldn't be surprising. Jack had been kicked out of this place more times than he could count.

He had tried to keep count at how many times he could be kicked out in a day.

He'd lost count after 29.

"Let's go, Sophie." He said quickly, turning the girl rapidly and pushing her forward. She staggered slightly, letting out a sharp yell as she nearly tripped over herself. But Jack continued to shove her forward urgently, glancing back rapidly over and over at the Yeti. "Come on! Go! Go! Go!"

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

They found the kitchen by the smell that was slowly filling in the entire Workshop. Jack wasn't even aware that the place had a kitchen.

And boy, was he impressed.

It had to be at least a million football fields wide; Jack guessed that it had to be, considering the sheer amount of workers that lived here. A large, grand cooking room sat at one end, having all the high-tech cooking systems and up-to-date recipes. On the other side of the room, rows and rows of tables lined up side-by-side, dining tables, Jack guessed. Breakfast must be really early in the morning, because all the Yetis were already done eating. A few stray plates and trash lay strewn across the room, a lone Yeti in a hair- net being the one to pick them up with a few annoyed grumbles.

But the big room wasn't what caught Jack's attention, as odd as it might seem. It was the people in it. The other Guardians, (save for Sandy and North) were gathered around together at the tables, talking easily as if nothing had gone wrong. Like everything was perfect and they were just getting together for a day full of fun. An array of breakfast food was spread out in front of the pair. Things like waffles, pancakes, cereal, and fruit. It seemed like an awful lot of food for just the two of them.

And it was only until they caught sight of him did Jack realize that they were waiting for him.

Tooth was first to notice his appearance, wings shooting upright at once as her pink eyes met his. She looked surprised for a moment, as if she hadn't expected the Spirit to up this early with Sophie. But then she gave him a brilliant smile, pure-white teeth threatening to blind him in the process. "Jack!" She said happily, reaching over and beckoning the pair over to the table. "Come over here! We have more than enough food!"

Jack blinked, looking from Sophie and then back to them. His gaze lingered specially on Bunnymund, eyes hardening slightly as he did so. He didn't trust the bunny to keep his mouth shut. Much as he hated the thought of fighting between them right now, Sophie couldn't hear anything about what was going on. It would just cause her to get scared, thus giving Pitch more power. And that was the last thing they needed right now. The defeat at Burgess set the man back a long ways, but surely he wasn't just going to sit still while they stayed here at the workshop? He was doing something right this very moment, gaining his strength back through Jamie and preparing to strike again.

He shook his head roughly to clear it, mentally cursing himself. He had to know not to scare her either. He gave a small shrug, reluctantly starting towards the table with Sophie in tow. He sat down beside Tooth, giving Bunny a hard warning glare as he settled the toddler down next to him. Bunny's ears flicked a little guiltily, but he didn't say anything. They sat in silence for a moment, Sophie's eyes traveling across the table hungrily. Her hands wrung in her lap, as if she wanted to reach out for something, but was holding herself back.

Jack nudged her invitingly, nodding towards the plates in front of them. "Go ahead." He said. "You can take first pick, because you're so special." Sophie looked a little doubtful, eyes darting over to Tooth warily. It was no secret that out of all of them, Tooth was the one that Sophie was most nervous about. After all, the last time they had met, Tooth had shoved bloody teeth right up into the girl's face. Not much of a first impression, if you ask him.

The fairy looked a little hurt at the expression on the girl, but she leaned forward, grabbing a plate and pushing it over to her. It was loaded with cool whip, strawberries and blueberries arranged just so that they created a smiley face. "Go ahead, sweetie." Tooth cooed warmly. "Anything in this Workshop is your's now. Don't be afraid to ask for anything."

Sophie still looked a little doubtful, but she grabbed a fork tightly in her hand. She stabbed it through the strawberry eye, plucking it off from the pancake and shoveling it into her mouth. Now that Jack thought about it, he realized that they didn't feed Sophie at all yesterday. She'd only managed to have some of the breakfast that her mother had made her yesterday. She was inhaling the food without any more thoughts by now, Jack mentally slapping himself. He had to be more mindful.

The sound of a plate screeching across the table roused him from his thoughts. Jack turned, blinking rapidly as a waffle was pushed in front of him. He looked up oddly, Bunny drawing his hand back with a sort of shy look. The Winter Sprite looked from the plate, then back up to Bunny. If this was an apology because of last night, it was terrible one. He looked sourly at the food, expression slowly slackening as he did so. His stomach gave a muted growl, and Jack hoped that nobody had heard it. He picked up a piece of the syrup-covered waffle, popping it into his mouth and chewing angrily.

It would suffice for now.

Bunnymund rolled his eyes.

"So, Jack…" Tooth said, eyes flashing over to Sophie. She smiled, reaching over and stabbing out a piece of Jack's waffle, eating it without even a second thought.

Jack's eyes flashed. "You're playing a dangerous game." He warned.

Tooth waved him off dismissively, looking a little peeved for some reason. "I was wondering if after you ate you would want to come and check something out with me?" She prompted, glancing over pointedly at Sophie. Jack blinked, dropping his fork with a small clatter as he looked at the Fay oddly. "Maybe we could _leave Sophie with Bunnymund_." She stressed. "It's something really important; it would probably bore Sophie anyway."

The girl glanced over at Jack a little fearfully, but didn't seem as uncomfortable with being with Bunnymund as she was with Tooth. She might be excited to get things from the fairy in exchange for her own teeth, but being with her for no reason seemed to rub the girl the wrong way. The entire room was filled with tension by now, probably all for different reasons. Tooth wanted to get him away from Sophie without the girl noticing, Bunny was somewhat apologetic about last night, and Jack and Sophie were just off to the side.

Tooth was waiting for his answer, deadpanning as she looked over at him. What was her problem? Was it because he had brushed her off so easily last night? Why would she be angry by that? It wasn't usually so easy for her to get mad. He looked over at Sophie, the girl giving high-pitched laughter as she dabbed cool-whip all over her face. She had a large dollop on her nose, a smear on her chin and making her look like she had a little goatee. She snorted with giggles, a strawberry poking out of her mouth as she laughed around it. Bunny had a small grin on his face as he watched her play, eyes usually soft for somebody like him.

But Jack wasn't put down. He narrowed his eyes, giving the Easter Bunny a hard look. "You'll look after her?" He demanded harshly, voice tinged with anger. He hadn't forgotten last night. If Bunnymund was going to think that he was traitor, that was fine with him. But if he was going to say something like that to Sophie, that was crossing the line. The rabbit looked over at him, opening his mouth wide as if he had a sharp retort in mind for the boy.

But then he looked fully at Jack's angered face, snapping his mouth closed. His eyes flicked over to Sophie, who was trying to stack her fruit up in a tall tower on the pancake-face. He stared at the girl for a heartbeat, seeming to become suddenly sad. And then he gave a tense nod of affirmation. "Don't worry." He said. "I'll look after the little mite."

"Make sure you do." Jack said frostily, eyes flashing a warning. If he came back and saw one hair out of place on the girl's head…

"Ahem." Tooth caught dryly, snapping Jack's attention back to the task at hand. "We really should go, Jack. North and Sandy are waiting." Jack started at this, realizing that it had to be something about Jamie. That might be a reason why Tooth was so mad. He was focusing on everything other than Jamie right now. The assumption struck the teen hard, and he gave a small wince at it. Tooth went on, voice hard and firm as she flew up from her chair. "Come on." She urged, already turning and breezing out of the room. "We're wasting time."

Her voice was so thin, her posture really tight and angry. Jack blinked, a crease in his forehead showing itself. What was her _problem_? He sighed tiredly, turning over dramatically and looking over at Sophie. The girl started, turning back to Jack. Her eyes were much brighter than usual, her shoulders lose and relaxed unlike how she was acting before. She had a cool-whip mustache on her face, curled like a Handlebar. It was actually pretty impressive.

He chuckled, getting up from the table and hesitating at the sight of it. "You stay here, Squirt." He said with a grin. "I'll be right back, and when I am, I expect a full-on beard on your face." He winked at this, giving Bunny one last stern look before turning. He rushed after Tooth, having to run to catch up to her. She was rounding the corner, already exiting the kitchen and not even trying to wait for him. He felt a flash of irritation go up his spine, but he pushed it away.

As he exited the dining room, he heard Bunny's voice drift back over to him. "Alright, mate. How about we make some ice cream?" Sophie let out a shriek of delight. She probably yelled something like: 'Ice cream! For breakfast?' So far, it looked like Bunny was listening to Jack's death threats and being nice.

How heartwarming.

Now, if only Tooth would get back to being her normal self.

He sped up, finally matching Tooth's speed as he zipped along beside her. "So." He said finally. "What's this all about?" Tooth didn't reply, eyes narrowed as she flew straight forward. Suddenly, she veered off sharply to the right, Jack scrambled, jerking to the side as he rushed after her. "HEY!" He yelled angrily, more than aware of the Yeti's eyes on the two of them as they streaked through the workshop. He gained his flying speed back, shooting forward until his shoulders were aligned with her's. "If you're going to be moody today, that's fine!" Jack snapped. "But don't take it out on me, because I have enough things to worry about!" He yelled.

Tooth suddenly skidded to a stop, eyes blazing as her hands balled into tight fists at her sides. Jack gasped with surprise, not getting the memo as he continued to fly forward for a few feet. He came to a sudden halt, head reeling as he whirled around. Tooth's face was pinker than normal, blush lighting up her face a dark shade of red. "Don't you think we all have something to worry about?" Tooth demanded, voice high with anger. "Can you not see that this entire time I've been trying to _help _you? I try to- to stick up for you! And I try to help you and make you feel like you don't need to worry! But you keep… _shooting me down_!" Her coral eyes narrowed with anger. "I don't know what you want me to do! When I try to ignore you, you get mad! And when I try to help you, you get mad!"

Jack's eyes widened, feeling a mixture of guilt and surprise. He'd never heard Tooth sound so dejected before, it was weird. He searched for something to say, anything that he could say to help her get over it. He realized that she was right. More than once, he'd shoved her off without even thinking about it. "Tooth, I…" He trailed off, giving a short, bad-tempered sigh. "I'm sorry. I just wasn't thinking. With all this stuff going on…and me being the cause of it…" He shook his head slowly. "I just lost track of a few things. Like you, and Bunny, and Jamie."

Tooth frowned at this, giving in as she shook her head a little bit. "It's not your fault."

This time, Jack allowed himself to be comforted. He didn't like to be the odd person out. The weak one, and to have everybody flocking towards him and trying to spare him. He had always been strong and independent, he wasn't somebody to lean on people and accept their help easily. But this was Tooth. And, excluding all the Yetis an Elves around them, there wasn't really anybody to see the two of them together. He gave her a small smile, looking her right in the eyes. "Thank you." He said sincerely, hoping that the words would dash away her anger. "I mean…for everything. Not just this. I've been an idiot."

"That's an understatement." The Fay said simply. But the anger slowly melting off her face, shrinking from fury to worry. "Now, the others are-" Her words were interrupted almost at once, Jack stiffening as he heard a sharp yell reach his ears. It was quiet, like whatever it was coming from was either far away, or being muffled. But either way, the yell was unmistakably Jamie's. And it sounded scared. Jack's eyes widened to be a million times their normal size in less than three seconds, surprise making a beautiful pattern to frost to shoot out from his staff. It flew forward, smashing into the ceiling and crusting over a lamp. It short-circuited, fizzling out with a sharp popping sound.

Tooth's eyes widened, the Fairy looking a little anxious. She reached out, as if to try and stop him. But Jack whirled around, quick as the winter wind. He streaked away, following the sound of the noise he had heard, heart beating painfully against his ribcage. Tooth followed after him, probably deciding that there was no point in trying to stop him. The two flew through halls, rounded corners, and shot up stairs no even pausing before doing so. Tooth eventually took the lead, guiding Jack forward and back the way that she had probably come.

Finally, they came to a door near the top of the Workshop. It was the very last room, at the end of the hall. Tooth stopped at it, reaching over to knock before going inside. But Jack blew right past her, brushing by her and ripping his way quickly into the room. He rocketed inside, cheeks flying back as his eyes watered. He could feel the room get at least five degrees colder as he entered, but he paid no heed. The snow outside was reacting to his sudden burst of panic, raining down hard against the window. It must have signaled his coming, for both North and Sandy weren't surprised at all to see him so suddenly.

They both turned, looked tired and worn where they stood. Jamie was tense on a bed against the wall, hands fisting tightly into the covers of the blankets. He twisted and turned violently, body almost convulsing as he grunted. Jack screeched to a halt, feeling Tooth do the same right behind him. The Fay's eyes were riddled with guilt and remorse as she looked down at the little boy, but all Jack could do was look down in horror. This couldn't be true, it couldn't be real. This scene in front of him was like something out of a scary movie, the part that made every person in the audience scream with fright. This lively young boy…the same kid that had begged to skate with him less than a week ago…was now reduced to this.

With a shaky hand, Jack reached forward, placing his hand lightly onto Jamie's shoulder. His voice came out small at first, the teen having to wait moment more before getting it under his control. "Jamie?" He asked, voice much steadier than he had thought it would be. He felt a flash of relief, but it only lasted a moment. The boy responded to his touch like he had shocked him, jerking away and letting out a shrill yelp. The shriek rasped painfully against his throat, as if he was losing his voice from screaming so much. He twisted sharply, gasping for air as his eyes screwed shut tightly.

Jack jerked backwards with surprise, eyes growing large as he froze. Sandy reacted quickly though, as if used to this by now. He pushed Jack aside a little roughly, the teen stumbling backwards. Tooth caught him expertly, helping to prop him up before he could fall. Sandy dashed forward, creating a very sloppy-looking teddy bear out of sand. He blew it forward, watching carefully as the yellow dreamsand wreathed around Jamie's head, trying its best to fight off the nightmares that were raging inside the boy's mind.

Jamie's efforts to twist and turn slowly subsided after a heartbeat, breathing fast and labored as he went a little slack against the sheets. His face was creased with pain and worry, it looked like, though Jack knew that it was nearly impossible. You couldn't get hurt in dreams…right? The boy gasped for air, as if he couldn't get enough inside of his lungs. North looked at Jamie carefully for a moment before tearing his gaze away and looking back to Jack. His blue eyes, normally so big and bright, were now weighted down. He stared at Jack expectantly, just as Sophie had done. He waited for the boy to speak, not doing it himself. Jack took in a few quick gulps of air, not able to even blink as he looked uncomprehendingly at Jamie.

"How long?" He finally managed, voice breaking as his hands wrung in front of him. "…How long has this been going on?"

"Nearly all night." Tooth murmured, answering for North instead.

"Why did nobody tell me?" Jack demanded, voice harder this time.

"Someone had to be with Sophie." North said simply. "One who would not get the girl worried. You were perfect man for job. Because you didn't know what was happening either." He looked a little off as he said this, watching as Jack seemed to flare up at the words. He had meant it to be comforting to the Winter Spirit, but it seemed to be doing just the opposite. The boy's fists shook with fury at his sides, blue eyes cold and angry as they bored into North's own. "Do not be upset, Jack-"

"Upset?" Jack repeated, spitting out the word. "I'm WAY past upset, buddy!"

"Jack, we were just trying to make it easier." Tooth said in a hush, watching as Sandy bent over Jamie, looking strained in his work. He crafted things like ponies, unicorns, monster trucks, and candy. But nothing seemed to help. "You said that you didn't want Sophie to know about anything, you wanted to protect her. Well, we just wanted the same for you." Tooth sighed softly to herself.

"I don't need to be protected." Jack snapped, grip tightening on his staff. "You have to tell me when this happens. If something happened to Jamie, and I didn't know, I would…" He trailed off, unable to finish as he closed his eyes.

Jamie twitched violently, giving a small gasp as he did so. Sandy drew back, holding his hands up quickly in a sort of surrender, like he was afraid he had hurt the boy. But Jamie curled up tightly, opening his mouth and letting out another scream. Jack winced away from the noise, hugging his arms and trying to keep himself together. Jamie's screams slowly formed into words, the Winter Sprite going completely still as his shouts echoed across the walls. "…Jack!" Jamie screamed, voice riddled with agony and misery. "Jack come back!" His eyes were shut, but Jack could almost feel the boy's eyes staring right through him. He let out another sharp yell, writhing once more on the bed.

Jack immediately tried to rush forward, eyes flying bigger than his head in less than two seconds. His arms flew forward, trying to find purchase somewhere. He tried grabbing Jamie, a sloppy plan formulating quicker than possible in his head. But Tooth grabbed his arms tightly, surprising Jack himself as she managed to keep him at bay. For the moment, all he could do was scream at her at the top of his lungs, yelling out words like 'Traitor' and other offensive words. But later, he'd realize (with a little embarrassment) that he must have looked more than crazy right about now.

"Let me go!" He howled, yanking against Tooth's grip and lunging for Jamie, who cried out his name for a second time. "Let me go!" He repeated. "I need to get to Jamie! Jamie! It's not me! It's not me!" He begged for the boy to understand, to miraculously wake up and see that whatever he was dreaming about wasn't real. But Jamie only responded by giving a huge sob. Sandy's eyes were round and huge, still trying to craft better dreams for the younger boy. But between Jack and Jamie's yelling, the man was obviously having a hard time concentrating.

North got between Jack and the others, the Winter Sprite opening his mouth to scream a retort over in his direction. But Tooth suddenly scraped up a large amount of force, flying backwards and yanking the teen backwards. Jack growled, fury rising up to color his face an angered shade of red. He felt his knees tremble and lock underneath him, he could feel the ache in his mouth as he gritted his teeth together tightly. Suddenly, Tooth let out an injured shriek, snatching her hands away from Jack and looking down at them with glistening eyes. Ice and frost were coating her arms by now, the Fairy's eyes shimmering with pain as she tried to brush the freezing things off of her limbs. But it only seemed to cause more pain as she flinched away.

Jack blinked rapidly, looking down at his own hands with a shocked expression. "…Tooth, I-" He broke off, coming up with nothing to say as he stared at her. The Fay grimaced deeply, shaking her arms as if it would be a good way to get the sticking ice off. Jack reached over quickly, grasping her hands inside his own. Tooth immediately bristled, feathers bushing up at her sides as she gave a hiss of objection. But Jack clung tightly to her hands, nearly smashing the girl's palms as he did so. Slowly, the ice melted off, frozen ice slowly melting to water and dripping off.

Tooth blinked, staying still a few heartbeats, staring blankly at their hands tightly clasped together. But then Jack took his own back to him, realizing that the place had gone silent. He turned around heavily, shoulders slumped down tiredly as he looked towards Jamie. The boy had gone completely still, the only movement being the small twitch of his chest every once and a while. Sandy looked drained, the usual sparkle that lingered around the man's frame was gone by now. He just looked tired and sad. Jamie was still asleep, but the crease in his forehead was a little smaller by now, the boy not yelling out anymore. His screams were replaced with a small mumble or groan, barely audible to even Jack's ears.

Nobody spoke.

Nobody moved.

And nobody looked over at Jack.

Until the boy spoke. "I'll _kill_ him." Jack vowed, a deathly sort of promise in his voice. Tooth started, looking up from her arms and staring over at Jack, still looking a little fuzzy. North and Sandy both turned, looking a bit more sterner than Tooth did. But Jack didn't care. His eyes narrowed, flashing with a look of utmost hatred. He looked at Jamie, picturing the boy as he was before; he had been so carefree, so happy. He blew with the wind, and went wherever it took him. And now he was grounded, and Jack could do nothing to help. "I'll kill Pitch, I promise."

"Jack-" North started.

"No!" The Sprite yelled firmly. "Pitch has gone too far this time! He knows that _this _is the best way to get to us!" His eyes became sad, though there was no denying the anger that still resided in his orbs. "He's using me against Jamie now. We have to act soon." Jack's eyes batted closed softly. "We have no more time to waste. We have no idea what Pitch is doing to him. If we wait any longer…" He trailed off a moment before speaking again. "…if we wait any longer, we may be able to wake Jamie up. But he might not thank us for it."

The words brought a beat of silence, before Tooth broke it. "We have nothing to do." She pointed out. "We don't know where Pitch is. And we have no idea what we would do when we meet with him." She turned her eyes down to Jamie's limp form. "We may have set Pitch back a lot back in Burgess…but since we can't know what he's doing to Jamie, we have no way to gauge how strong he is."

"So there's nothing we can do." Jack said, voice flat and thin.

"Not true." North said. "Sandy will do everything can to keep Jamie safe."

"And if he can't?" Jack asked icily. "If he can't keep up with Jamie and every single kid in the universe?"

Sandy glared over at this, looking quite offended.

"He will do all in power." North replied harshly. "Is all any of us can do."

"If we cut off Pitch's power, then he'll have none." Tooth said, quoting the others from last night. Jack turned, giving her a sour look. She shrugged, looking downcast. "I'm sorry, Jack. But it's really the best we can do. We should all split up today, and make sure that we spread a little bit of cheer throughout the world." She glanced over at North. "North can stay with Jamie along with Bunny. I should go and catch up with my teeth-collecting, Sandy should make sure that each child is having good dreams so far, and you should make it snow."

"What will that do?" Jack muttered darkly.

"It'll give people hope." Tooth snapped, a little tartly. But when Jack glanced back to her, her eyes softened. "I know it's not the best of plans. But if we make sure that all the kids in the world are still believing, then we will stand a better chance against Pitch. Maybe we'll even cause him to lose power." At Jack's doubtful look, Tooth sighed loosely. "All I'm asking is that you go out and make sure that kids get what they enjoy. Maybe give a few Snow Days so they can spend a few days with family. I'll give back a few teeth, maybe give back a few memories of the better times. With Sandy to give out dreams, we'll spread cheer quickly enough so that things could get resolved soon."

Jack ducked his head, wanting to disagree. But he couldn't. The plan was falling a little short, that much was more than obvious. But it had to suffice for now. Jack could zip out, make a few short snowstorms and then be back in less than a few hours. While the others had long work ahead of them, he knew that he could finish early. Tooth seemed to know what he was thinking, giving an awkward nod before turning, wings snapping up at her sides and flying out the door. Sandy let out a huge yawn, but did not sit down. Rather, the man turned, following Tooth and the way she had gone. He looked quizzically back at Jack, waiting for him to do the same.

The Winter Spirit shrugged one shoulder. "I'll be there soon." He offered weakly.

But Sandy just turned, drifting out of the room and closing the door.

Jack shuffled back over, stopping at Jamie's bedside with a sorrowful look. North didn't turn over to him, but Jack could sense that the man was paying close attention. Normally, the thought would have made Jack bristle. But all he did was heave out a sigh. "Pitch can do all he wants to me, but when he touches anybody else, that's crossing the line." He growled, not sure whether he was talking to himself or not. "But…I guess he knows that."

"He knows your weakness." North clarified. "You must strive to show him that you overcome obstacles."

Jack hummed an agreement, still looking a little sorrowful. He stared at Jamie fixedly, a small frown pulling the edges of his lips down. The boy was on his side, facing Jack as his chest moved up in down in a rhythmic pattern. He had stopped gasping for air like a fish out of water, did that mean it was a little better for him now? Did Sandy's Dreamsand work? Jack prayed with all his might that it did; Jamie didn't deserve any of this. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The boy looked suddenly peaceful, quite different from what he had been a few minutes ago. His jaw was slack, not back like it had been before. The light in the room suddenly caught a small clear drop on his face, and Jack watched as a small tear traced its way slowly down Jamie's cheek. Jack pulled on his sweatshirt sleeve, making it so that the cloth covered his hand. He reached over, wiping away the tear quickly. The water strain still remained though, shining against Jamie's pale-looking skin.

Jack had never seen anything like it before.

Jamie taught him that you didn't need to be awake to cry.

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A/N: Still looking for more reviews for this story. I think we can get a much bigger number that's already up there ;D

Hope you liked! And I hope that there aren't many mistakes inside~!

I had a Beta Reader, she kinda bailed on me…. (sour face)


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: So sorry, all! I went on a cruise for a week and then to Disney for a week. I spent pretty much all Spring Break away from my computer. Which is a record, really. (That's sad, right? XP) Thanks for waiting patiently with me, and thanks for all the reviews I got from last chapter! Jack must have been mad at my lack of updates; Saint Louis now has more than a foot of snow covering all of the city. AND my heating is broken in the house, so that's another down side….

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Jack, Tooth, and Sandy had split up to do their jobs that they had given themselves what seemed like ages ago. Sandy had shot up into the sky, Dreamsand already spilling out behind him like a glittering river. Tooth had taken a step backwards, immediately having at least a million of her hummingbird helpers swarm up to her from nowhere. She exploded like a volcano, shouting out names of teeth so fast that her words slurred together into a huge jumbled mess. But her helpers drank it up like she was speaking in slow-motion, speeding off in less than a moment. She had then turned to the other half of the group around her, eyes stern. "And you all are going to start giving back memories." She instructed, voice turning much more sterner than it had a moment before. "But only one. We don't know how many we'll need; don't you dare give back more than you should." She eyed a few fairies in particular as she spoke, and Jack figured that some fairies might not be as nice as they're made out to be.

He was in such a rush to finish what he was assigned to do, that he didn't even think of waiting to see if Baby Tooth was okay, or if she was looking for him. He just turned around swiftly, not pausing to call out a small farewell before he blew away with a freezing gust of wind. Tooth hesitated at this, stopping in her directions for once as she turned slowly, pink eyes unnaturally weighted down as she stared after Jack. She watched the teen speed away until he was a small dot on the barren horizon. And she still watched him, all the way up until he vanished around the mountains. Her shoulders slumped as she let out a small gusty sigh. "Be careful." She had whispered after him.

That had been a long time ago. Every second felt like somebody was stabbing Jack in the back; he had to get back to the Workshop soon, for a number of reasons. Pitch would be outmatched against North and Sandy, and even more so if you add all the Yetis in the Workshop into the equation. But if Jack was there, it would be no contest. He was the strongest of the Guardians, that's why he'd been picked to become one, after all. And with Jamie and Sophie in danger, in an unfamiliar place, Jack felt all the more inclined to run back and stay there instead of being out in the open air. Which was indeed saying something.

He tried to get his job done as quickly as he could. But he'd been sent out here in the first place to lift the spirits of children; if he left a mess all over the place, the only thing the kids would think was that the world was ending. And even if you do get a snow day, thinking the world is going to end kinda puts a damper on that. So he tried to go as fast but as careful as he could. He pushed away all his cluttering worries. All the thoughts about Jamie, the Guardians, Pitch, and anything like that, they all were pushed aside (with great difficulty). He focused on better things. Like the pancakes that he and Sophie shared for about two minutes this morning, the way things used to be better before now, Sophie's new love for that little toy that Jack got her. He tried to think of things good, and push as much of the feelings into the way the wind and snow blew. He tried to spread warmth and happiness around like jam on a piece of toast, although he figured that he could never find out whether or not it worked. The second he had frosted over streets with a thick coating of ice, made sure that it would snow long after he was gone, and made cities and grasslands look like Winter Wonderlands, he was gone.

He hit every single city, town, village, and countries that were going through winter right now, making sure that there was at least a foot on the ground before he moved on. And despite his worries about going back to the workshop on time…let's just say that whoever was worrying over Global Warming before will now be unable to find a problem anymore. With the wind blasting against his face, Jack surveyed his work from overhead, eyes critical as he scanned the ground. Snow blanketed each and every area he had been to, not a single patch of grass was showing by the time he was finished with it. He gave himself a small nod of affirmation, silently pleased with what he'd managed to do in the span of three hours. He'd swept by Saint Louis one more time, gone to Chicago, New York, spent about an hour in Canada, veered down to Arkansas, and then to the rest of Missouri, along with an entire list of towns that had been starting to clutter up his recently-abandoned to-do list.

But he still had one more town to go to. As soon as the thought entered his mind, reminding him that his work wasn't over yet, he let out a small huff of air. He watched as the breath formed up into a small little cloud in front of his mouth, curling up into the air into a miniature cloud before dissipating as quick as it had come. He still had to go to Burgess. The people could still be in a panic after what had happened last night, and he had to get back there to try and reassemble the pieces of the normal town's life. He turned reluctantly, wishing that he had somewhere else to be. Going to Burgess so soon after what he had seen Jamie going through was like slicing himself open and then going to lay down into a big mound of salt. But he had to do it, otherwise Pitch would get stronger. The thought rang in his head repeatedly as he let the wind breeze him back to his home.

His eyes hardened at the name, his teeth grinding together tightly along with his grip on his staff. Pitch. He didn't know when to quit! The Guardians had beaten him before, why couldn't he just let himself fade away like he deserved? Why couldn't he accept defeat and stop coming into the Guardians' lives, screwing them up and turning it upside-down? He was selfish, greedy, and terrible. And…smart. Jack's anger melted away to be replaced by sadness at the word, undeniably having to use the word in accordance with the way that Pitch had launched this plan. If he was still launching it, after the defeat at Burgess just twenty-four hours ago.

But that was the thing, too, Jack guessed. He closed his blue eyes softly, thoughts flying back to the scene outside of Jamie's wrecked house, the sound of Pitch's disembodied voice echoing over everyone's head, but without any real direction to look to. It had seemed to be everywhere and yet nowhere all at once. _Sorry to leave on such short notice. But I have many affairs to check up on. This if far from over, my little Guardians. You may have won this one, but it's just a stepping stone! My plan is going perfectly! _He sighed, listening to Pitch's words over and over as they rang inside his mind. But then he snapped open his eyes, forcing himself to watch where he was going. It was very easy to start going one way and then end up all the way in China with the way his mind drifted sometimes.

And yet, he had to think about it. _A stepping-stone? _It could be dismissed as a bluff. After all, Pitch had shown once before how easily his plans were able to be put to rest. But at the same time, it could be counted as a fatal mistake to not pay attention to the words. If he was telling the truth, that meant that Pitch's plan would exceed anything that the Guardians were expecting right now. They were preparing to act as a crutch for every child; they were trying to be some kind of cushion for kids to fall back on. They were trying to take care of the world and keep two children that were currently parent-less out of harm's way at the same time. And now, with the clinging doubt of whether or not Pitch had something nastier than what Jack had witnessed with Jamie up his sleeve to pull out, something had to happen.

Something had to give.

The town of Burgess rose up over the horizon, the darkly-colored clouds overhead making the place look sad and depressing. Jack angled himself down quickly, muttering a small thank-you to the winds as he made for landing. He swooped across the side of the place, eyes narrowed as he calculated the damages that had been left in the battle's wake. There were a few traffic lights that were cracked and broken, a telephone pole near the outskirt's of town leaning over dangerously to the left. There were a few trees that had been knocked down, along with broken windows to houses and things of that nature. Jack couldn't help but let out a small relieved puff of air. He had expected the town to be in much worse of a state than what it was.

People were out and about at least. Adults hurrying off to where they worked, or to the store to try and get food. Firemen and ambulances doing a quick sweep of hazards or people in danger. Police Officers roamed the streets, expressions almost accusing as they stared hard into every person that passed by on the street. Obviously they were looking for some kind of culprit to the town's recent state. Though it could be passed off as something that happened because of the blizzard, (Jack's fault, he reminded himself sourly) the Police still paced up and down the roads, asking questions and getting the 'scoop.' Jack rolled his eyes at the pointless quest, turning swiftly and rushing back to the east side of the town. As he went, he imagined all the times that he had spent here with Jamie and Sophie and their friends. All of the ice skating games, the snowball fights, the camp-outs, and the stories told by the fireside. Cheesy as the memories were, they caused him to get a thrill of hope that maybe soon they would be able to have times like those once more. As soon as the thought went through Jack's mind, he gave a crooked smile, already feeling the change in weather even before the first few snowflakes drifted down to the ground.

It started in a lazy pattern. Snowflakes riding the wind and not really having much purpose as they happened to land on the town. But by the time that Jack got where he was planning on going, they had picked up into a steady stream of white powder. The Winter Sprite reminded himself to control how much snow he actually delivered; from the looks of the town, not many kids would be able to go to school anyways. There just needed to be enough for a few snowball fights here and there. Too much snow would delay the in the town's recovering from the recent attack. And that wasn't preferred in most people's book, it looked like.

Jack's thoughts were cut off quickly, though. A sudden sound of wailing in the distance unnerved the boy, rousing him from his thinking as he straightened. Twisting around curiously, Jack narrowed his eyes, catching sight of a white and red van speeding down the road in his direction. He ducked out of the way, watching with a renewed sense of panic as he recognized it. It was an Ambulance car. The flashing red light went in time with the pounding sound of the siren blaring out of the van, the thing flashing by Jack quicker than he could comprehend.

His heart picked up as he watched it race away down the road, blue eyes widening a fraction as he watched it go. It sped along until it came to a fork in the road, Jack taking a small step forward as he bit his lower lip. "Don't turn left." He begged softly, words turning to steam in the freezing air. He waited, watching as the ambulance arrived at the fork, wasted no time, ….and then turned left. The boy's breathing hitched sharply, a suddenly-sharper slice of wind shooting down into town in reaction to his sudden stab of fear. It nearly knocked him right off his feet, but he jumped instead, the wind whipping him after the van as fast as he could go.

He followed it with a more desperate kind of flight, watching as it traced the path he knew all too well. And when they arrived at the destination it was heading for, Jack stopped cold, eyes wide and unfocused as he looked at what was in front of him. Jamie's house. Police officers, firemen, and now and ambulance were all gathered around the rather-broken home. There were swarms of people that watched from the sidelines, eyes wide as they watched the scene in front of him numbly. Paramedics were standing outside the home, looking anxious as they waited standby with medical equipment and gurneys at hand. Police were off to the side, conversing amongst themselves. Jack thought he could hear them discussing what would happen if people from the News showed up to clog their working space.

The Sprite was just about to go forward more, when a sudden call exploded out of the house. "We've got them!" A voice yelled, footsteps coming closer and closer until finally somebody stepped out. Actually, a few people stepped out. Firemen stepped out of the house, a group of about three or four of them. They weren't decked out to go into a fire or anything like that; the only thing that showed which group they belonged to were the large badges on their chests. But Jack wasn't paying attention to those, his eyes were trained on the things that the men were carrying.

_Who _the men were carrying.

Jamie's parents. Lifeless, the mother and father were being carried bridal-style by the rescuers that were trudging out of their home, not even batting an eye at the fact that they were being moved. Immediately, the two were set gently onto their own gurneys, heads drooping listlessly to the side in the process. Medics rushed forward, blocking the now-frantic Jack's view of whatever was going on. The boy gasped sharply, launching himself into the air and shooting forward so that he was hovering above the mass of people. Looking down at the parents, the boy felt his heart rip apart at the sight of them. They bore bruises and scratches littered their bodies like sprinkles, a few nasty-looking cuts that looked a littler fresher drawing the people's attention. Jack blinked rapidly, shock washing over him like a tidal wave. Did they look that bad before? Surely he would have noticed if that was the case! He wouldn't have left them like that! …Would he?

"A report from the neighbor." A police officer was saying to one of the medics. "Said that there seemed to be a big commotion coming from here sometime yesterday. But then they blacked-out, just like everyone in town. When they woke up, they tried knocking on the door several times with nobody answering." The burly man let out a gusty sigh, accompanied with a shake of his head. "They're reported to have had two little ones: Jamie and Sophie Bennet. But nobody can find them. We'll have to send out a Missing Children alert. They've got to be somewhere."

"With the way the parents look, the kids could be dead by now." The medic said gravely. "We'd need to hurry, if we're going to do anything."

The police officer gave a nod, leaning over and saying a few words into his walkie-talkie. Something involving the word: Code. But then he straightened, watching the doctors go about their business before saying: "There's too much weird stuff going on over here." He sighed. "We're trying to find somebody responsible…but we just can't."

"It could be just the weather." The person beside him pointed out fairly.

"Humph." He scoffed. "When you've been in my line of work for as long as I have, you can tell the difference from an attack and a freak of nature." He surveyed the land around him with a deeply-set crease in his forehead, shaking his head side to side as he did so. "This wasn't _just _a freak of nature. Mark my words." Jack stiffened at this, blue eyes flashing with surprise as he gaped. "There's a culprit here, and I intend to find it." He studied the mother and father laying on the stretchers, suddenly seeming to arrive at a thought. "I wonder if they know anything…."

"You can't possibly-" The doctor started. But he was interrupted by another of the hospital's workers, a young-looking woman with panicked gray eyes. She whipped around to face what Jack was guessing by now was the leader of their party. She gestured to the people in front of her, the other doctors drawing away from their examining of their bodies. "They're stable for now!" She said, voice sounding urgent. "But they wont wake up, no matter what we do!"

The doctor's mood did a 180, changing into a serious man in less than a heartbeat. "Load them up into the back." He commanded, the others immediately obeying the order. He stepped to the side, looking frazzled as he watched the operation. "We'll take them back to the hospital and take care of them there." He paused for a moment before turning, fixing the police officer with a hard look. "And we will make sure that they are not _disturbed_." He added as an after-thought. The man in question growled at this, giving the man a frosty look before whipping around, shoulders hunching on themselves as he stalked away.

Jack watched him go with an identical glare. _Stay out of this. _He thought fiercely as he watched him go. But he tore himself back to reality, panic beginning to grip him as they loaded the two inside the ambulance car, getting in themselves and starting back the way that they had come. The incessant siren started up once more, slicing through the silence of the town as if screaming: 'Over here! Over here is a problem! This isn't over yet, we've got a problem over here!' It reminded the town about what happened, that there were still people in danger.

That Burgess wasn't safe.

Jack's jaw locked backwards. _It's plenty safe. _He snapped. _As long as I'm still breathing, Burgess will be perfectly fine. I promise. _He pushed off in the air, wind encasing him once more as he followed the ambulance back to the hospital. The pull of North's Workshop tugged him backwards, begging for his attention and for him to come back to Jamie and Sophie so that he could focus on them again. He needed to be with them. But he needed to be here too. These were their parents. And with the way that Sandy put them to sleep, Jack knew that no matter what happened, they would remain asleep. This was important too, he had to know what was going to happen to them before it was too late.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

Jack stood in the hospital room in silence, expression mournful as he took in what was in front of him. Jamie and Sophie's parents had been left in hospital beds, hooked up to heartbeat monitors that gave out slow and steady beeps. They had been bandaged and bound firmly, though they still looked sickly and pale. The two of them…they looked so much like their children, it hurt to see. Facing them now, hospitalized and unable to wake up, it felt like some sort of prophecy. Something terrible was going to happen. He knew that now.

This was just the beginning.

"I'm sorry." He offered weakly, wincing as he spoke. "I never meant for anything like this to happen. I just…." He closed his eyes tightly, mind drawing a blank as he clenched his right hand tightly into a fist. He dug his nails deep into the palm of his hand. He remembered the words that Pitch had said to him before they got into Burgess. _I need a strong companion Jack. Don't you see Jack? The only way that you'll protect anything in this town…is if you'll join forces with me. _

He shook his head roughly, spitting out a curse as he did so. "No!" He yelled fixedly, growling as he tried to shoo away the thoughts. "I can't do that." He said softly, voice growing smaller and smaller the longer he stood there. "…I can't…" He murmured, dropping his hand and letting it swing loosely down to his side. He closed his eyes tightly, as if trying to hide form the people laying across the room from him. "But I will do something." He said firmly, turning and looking at them carefully. "I promise that no matter what happens, I'll make sure that your kids come out safely. And you too." He paced forward until he stood at the foot of the couples' beds. "I am going to _save _this place. And everywhere else too." He had no idea what he was going to do, but right now it didn't matter. It didn't even matter that they wouldn't be able to hear him right now. "Don't worry." He said, turning and looking over to the nearest window. "I'm going to make sure that everything turns out for the best." His eyes narrowed with determination, and he pushed himself into the air, making for the exit. "No matter what."

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

He made back for North's Place with speed. The hole in his heart that he had tried to forget now was freshly torn open, feeling like a gaping wound against his chest. He felt pangs in his chest the farther he got away from Jamie's parents; the boy felt like he had abandoned them. His eyes stung and blurred as he flew through the cloudy night sky, and he would have like to blame it on the winds that buffeted him back and forth. But he knew that it was much more than that.

He cursed himself mentally. _Pull yourself together. You're never going to get anywhere if something like this is enough to push you over the edge. _He reached up, using his hoodie sleeve as he rubbing his eyes roughly, trying to shoo away the saltwater with an irritated look on his face. "C'mon." He growled through clenched teeth. "If you can't do this, you might as well not even go back to North's place." He rolled his eyes, slowing to a stop as he hovered in midair. The clouds brushed at his feet, feeling soft and moist as it snowed underneath the teen. The weather that he had caused.

He might as well stay here and try to get himself under control before he went too far. He turned, blinking slowly as he turned to face the moon. It wasn't as big as it usually was, it was just a small little white sliver hanging suspended in midair. It cast little light around him, making it dark and eerie as he stayed in midair. "Are you not going to help?" He demanded, voice hoarse. The moon did not reply of course; it never did. It just stared steadily back at him, unflinching in its glare. Jack blew out a sigh between his lips, glowering over in the moon's general direction. "Of course you won't." He growled ungraciously. "When do you ever?"

"Oh, come now." A voice whispered dryly, Jack jerking to attention at once as fright rushed through him from the sudden hiss. "You can't be so wounded already as to _lash _out at those around you! It's much too soon! That was scheduled for later. Why don't you be more fun, Jack?" The voice asked sarcastically, the Winter Spirit growling at once. He knew that voice.

"Pitch!" He screamed, starting to zoom around as fast as he could to try and pinpoint where the man was. There was nothing around here except for clouds. "Pitch! Get out here and fight! Don't be such a coward!" His blue eyes blazed with azure fire, and he felt his fists shaking as he aimed his staff in random directions that he hoped were threatening. "Where are you?" He shouted, voice raking almost painfully through his throat.

"Calm down, little 'Neutral Party.'" Pitch scoffed. "I'm only here to try and make you see sense."

"Well you might as well not even try!" Jack yelled, spinning in a tight circle. His blue eyes roved the landscape around him, but he couldn't see anything that even remotely signaled anyone else's appearance. "I'm not going to listen to _anything _you have to say! Unless it involves you giving up on this _stupid_ plan! Just give up, Pitch! You're fighting a losing battle!"

"Oh no, Jack." Pitch hummed, voice drifting to the left and right, only furthering Jack's confusion. The voice was upturned, and Jack could almost see the smug little smile across the man's face as he spoke. "I've seen what my plan will be able to do." He said, the boy stopping abruptly as he listened furiously. "I've come to share a little of it. Maybe it will make _you _see sense. Make you see that there is no delaying the inevitable! The future is _pitch black_, Jack. And the only way that you'll be able to see a glimpse of hope in it, is if you join me. And stand by me, instead of those wretched Guardians."

"You can't show me anything." Jack flashed back. His shoulders heaved painfully as he fought for air that didn't seem to fill his lungs. His thoughts went back to Jamie, and his anger faltered for a moment, replaced by raw, biting sorrow. He raised up his right hand, drawing it through his hair and mussing it up even more. "All you show is nightmares." He said numbly.

"Ah." Pitch said, sounding satisfied. Jack blinked, looking around with a sudden burst of worry. He looked down at himself, panic threatening to swallow him as he saw himself losing altitude. The wind buckled underneath his weight suddenly, the boy falling and stopping as it tried to bend around him. A cold feeling slowly started to creep up his legs, crawling up the length of his body like slimy water. This was a different kind of cold, a sinister feeling accompanied with the chilly shock. The blood in Jack's head started to rush to his feet, leaving the boy dizzy and disoriented. He clawed at the air uselessly, trying to stay aloft, trying to fight the weird sleepy feeling that was trying to drag him down. His eyelids fluttered, fighting to keep themselves open, but to no avail.

"…no…" He mumbled, watching as the pale disk of the moon got higher and higher. "…stop…."

"Don't you see, Jack?" Pitch pressed.

The teen's head suddenly weighed a million pounds. It dropped forward heavily, his arms and legs refusing to work as they went slack. _Stay awake! Stay awake! _His mind begged him. _Jamie! Sophie! You have to get to them! But you have to stay awake first! _But he couldn't. It was impossible. Darkness slammed over him like a thick curtain. He could feel himself falling….plummeting to the earth. But he was unable to scream. He was unable to do anything. The last thing he heard was Pitch's voice. So close, he thought it was right in his ear.

"All the future _is _is a nightmare."

The next thing he saw were colors. Mixing, dreary-looking colors that refused to stay in one place. Slowly, they came into focus, and when they did, Jack's heart leapt into his throat. He was in a long hallway, the walls on either side of him seeming to press forward; they were trying to suffocate him. He couldn't see where he was exactly, maybe in the workshop? Whatever kind of place he was in, it went on and on and on. He couldn't even see the end of it, no matter how much he squinted. He started to take a step forward, feeling unnaturally buoyant in his strides. But then a small voice sounded down the hall, soft and scared. "What do you want?" It demanded in a strange harsh whisper.

Jack blinked rapidly, leaning back slightly as a form stepped out of the shadows, coming closer. It was small, getting bigger and taller as it came closer. Jack's eyes widened, a cross between a gasp and a laugh escaping his mouth as the figure stepped into what pale light the hall offered. Jamie stood in front of him, face blank and empty as he stared over fixedly at the Guardian. He looked pale and sickly, the exact state that Jack had left him in. He expected Jamie to dash forward, wrap his arms around him in the tight hug that they normally shared. But he stayed put. "Why did you come back?" He asked apathetically.

"W-What do you mean?" Jack asked, grin fading.

"You told me that you were going to leave." Jamie said simply, as if the answer was obvious. "You said that you couldn't stay here anymore. That you didn't want to waste your time with me anymore." Jack's expression changed to hurt, and put-out. But Jamie didn't even flicker in his steady look at the change in the boy's eyes. "You said you didn't need Sophie. And you didn't need me. So why'd you come back?" Jack was too stunned to answer for a heartbeat, and Jamie shook his head slowly, robotically. "Why can't you just make up your mind?"

"That wasn't me, Jamie!" Jack yelled, finding his voice. It echoed back and forth in the long hallway, bouncing back to him and slapping him in the face with its sharp tone.

If Jamie heard, he didn't show it. "Just leave." He whispered. "I don't need you either."

"Jamie, you don't-" Jack reached out to touch him, but the boy cut him off.

"Go away." He sobbed, water filling his eyes.

Jack flinched backwards, eyes wide with horror. It wasn't water. The thing that filled Jamie's eyes…

Thin trickles of blood leaked out of the boy's eyes, leaving black stains on his cheeks. The blank look remained on the child's face, not scrunching up together like a normal kid's would when they would start crying. He looked apathetic, and accompanied with the bloody tears, Jack felt himself take a step backwards. "Just leave." Jamie whispered clearly. The floor cracked underneath Jack's feet, light shining up from the jagged cracks and making the Guardian screw his eyes shut tightly.

"Just go." Jamie hissed.

The world exploded, wind and air whipping at Jack's face as he collapsed against a hard surface. The burning light scorched the backs of his eyelids, burning a hole through his very being and stinging him to the core. He let out a short scream, hands desperately groping for something to hang onto. But then everything stopped. A deadly sort of quiet reigned now, and the boy slowly looked up. He felt…wrong. His body ached, every joint screeching out in agony as he moved. He weighed a million tons, every movement felt difficult, like he had to think through it before performing the action. It took him a moment, but he managed to push himself up to a sitting position, lifting his head and looking up.

North, Tooth, Bunny, and Sandy all stood over him, eyes wide with the utmost feeling of terror. Tooth's eyes were filled with tears as she looked down at him, and Sandy was trying to say something, the icons over his head going much too fast for Jack to try and understand any of them. But he was pretty sure that he saw s figure that looked like him shimmering above the man's face for a heartbeat. "What's wrong?" He asked, voice fuzzy and warped. Was that his voice?

"I never thought…it's not possible…" Tooth whispered, putting a hand over her mouth.

"Oh….Jack…." North looked at him sorrowfully, eyes misted over as he studied him.

Bunny was next, the words chilling Jack to the bone as he said scornfully. "You shouldn't have left, Mate. Now look what you are, where it got ya."

Tooth whirled around quickly, face splitting apart with rage and fury. "DON'T YOU DARE SAY ANY OF THIS IS HIS FAULT!" She screamed, Jack leaning away from the noise quickly as his eyes grew round. He'd never heard Tooth's voice get this high; she shattered his eardrums apart with the way she was yelling. Bunny glared at her, not flinching underneath her words as he met her gaze. But the tearful fairy was not deterred. "SHUT UP, BUNNYMUND! JUST…SHUT UP!" Jack stiffened at the words. What had happened? "YOU UNGRATEFUL….I WISH THIS WAS YOU INSTEAD OF HIM!" She screeched, jabbing a finger down at Jack.

Sandy's mouth dropped open, North taking a stride forward as he tried to clam the raging Fay. "You do not mean this, Tooth." He said, trying to make his voice calm.

"I DO!" She yelled, slapping him away. "YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO SAY…TO SAY SOEMTHING LIKE THAT? JACK IS GOING TO-"

"Jack?" A soft voice split apart whatever he was watching, tugging him backwards like he was tied to a rope. Jack's eyes snapped open quickly, the boy shooting into the air as he gasped with shock. His body felt normal now. He felt light, free, like he always did. The feeling of weights dragging at his limbs had disappeared…were they ever there? He looked around quickly, heart ramming against his ribcage almost painfully as he tried to find out where he was.

He was on a balcony. He must have been on the floor before he had rocketed up out of panic. The artic was stretched out beneath him, a large expanse of white snow. Looking forward, his heartbeat started to slow as he recognized the building. He was back at North's Workshop. The other Guardians stood around him anxiously, accompanied with Sophie, who looked at Jack with round green eyes. He was…he was back. Back from where? "What happened?" He asked oddly, looking around with confusion.

Tooth blinked, having been the first to call out his name. "What do you mean?" She asked, smiling nervously. "You just came back from making it snow…right?" When he didn't answer, she blinked, looking alarmed. "…You did make it snow, right?" She demanded.

Reluctantly, he nodded, still unsure about what was happening. "I meant beyond that." He clarified.

"Oh." Tooth said, facial expression clearing. "Well…we've been waiting for you for quite a while. The Yetis have started cooking dinner-"

"Dinner?" Jack echoed, looking back behind his shoulder. The moon had risen quite a lot more since he had last seen it. "It's that late?" He asked stupidly.

"Yeah. You took forever, Mate." Bunnymund said, rolling his eyes. "How long does it take to make a mess?"

Jack glared at him, but Tooth swept forward, interjecting herself between them. "Yes." She answered. "Sandy and I finished with our jobs, we were a little worried when we came back to see that you weren't here. But after a while, we saw you flying back here. But then you just sort of sat down on the balcony and refused to say anything." She looked over at the others as she spoke. "We thought you just wanted to be alone, so we didn't bother you. But…dinner is almost ready."

_I flew here? I…sat here? For how long? _The questions went unasked. Instead: "Is Jamie okay?"

"Of course. We would not leave him otherwise!" North said, sounding quite proud of himself.

But Tooth still looked at Jack oddly. She flew forward a little, tilting her head as she looked him over carefully. "Are you okay?" She asked. Jack looked at her fuzzily, still trying to wrap his mind around what had just happened. Pitch had…put him under some kind of spell. That much was for certain. That could explain the disturbing things he had seen. But how had he flown all the way back here without knowing it? He reached over, slipping his left hand inside his right sleeve. He pinched himself tightly, feeling the familiar kind of start at the pain it inflicted. Did that mean he was awake?

It didn't really matter. He felt pain in…wherever he just was before now.

But looking at the people in front of him now, the concern, relief, happiness, and in Bunny's case, irritation, relaxed him. It felt real. He reached over, putting his hand on Tooth's arm experimentally. It didn't go through, and the world didn't fall apart. Her arm was solid. She was real. Blush lit up the Fay's face at this action, but she didn't pull away. Jack looked at her closely, trying to draw comfort from the people around him. Whatever he had seen…it was a nightmare. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Is everything okay?" Tooth asked.

"Yeah…" Jack mumbled, sounding muffled as he tried to sort out his thoughts. He looked around. North, Tooth, Sandy, Bunny, and Sophie. His eyes rested on the blonde, drinking in her presence as she looked at him fearfully. The promise he had made rang inside of his mind as he met eyes with her; only now did the weight of his words rest fully on top of his shoulders.

Pitch was getting stronger. That much had just been shown to him by now, at least. What had just happened to him had been created by the shadow, and it was like nothing that Jack had ever experienced before. And things were only going uphill from this point on. But as he met both Tooth's eyes, and those of Sophie's, Jack felt a surge in his stomach. He had made a promise. Both to himself, and to Jamie and Sophie's parents. And he was fully intending to keep that oath he had made.

He was going to protect these people. It was his job. He was a Guardian. No matter what Pitch thought.

"Yeah. I…I think that everything is going to be okay." He repeated, more firmly. He could see the way the Tooth relaxed at this, giving a small grin at him and finally drawing back her hand. She took her arm back to herself, pausing a moment as their fingers brushed together, looking startled. But then she turned quickly, jabbering on about things on the menu for dinner. Sophie dashed forward, launching into the tale of everything that her and Bunnymund had done that day. Jack perked, looking over the girl's head to the rabbit curiously. In turn, he gave a small dip of his head, looking apologetically in the boy's direction. Jack gave a small smile, but it did not reach his eyes.

All he could think of was the things he had seen.

_You shouldn't have left, Mate. Now look what you are, where it got ya._

He shook his head to clear it, telling himself firmly: _Nothing bad is going to happen. Everything is going to be fine. _He turned around, looking up at the moon slowly as his eyes narrowed.

_Watch your back, Pitch. _He thought angrily. _There can be more than one player in this game._

The moon shone down with its small sliver, looking almost like a grin. Like it was laughing at him.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

A/N: Jamie: You said you didn't need my help, Jack. And that you didn't need me.

Jack: No! No, I didn't! I never said that! D:

Pitch: -plays recording- "'I don't need your help! And I don't need you!'"

Jack: o-o jerk.

Pitch: -shrugs-

Jack: Alright! I said it! But…that was before…

Jamie: Before what!? D:

Jack: Before we were…..boating buddies…

Jamie: :D

XDD Sorry, I was laughing when I was writing that because of that Spongebob episode. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews! And I hope that this will live up to your expectations! I hope that I get to hear from you! And I'm sorry for any mistakes, cause I gotta leave like…right now…. SORRY XDDDD

Happy Early Easter, peepz~!


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews I got last chapter! From old people, and a few new people as well :3

Pay close attention to this chapter….remember a key event in here ;3

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

He'd been sitting beside Jamie ever since dinner. He had watched as Tooth led Sophie away to her new designated room in the Workshop, the blonde turning and giving Jack a small wave with her right hand as she clung to Tooth tightly with the other. Her green eyes were shaded slightly as she stared back at him, and Jack did his best to give her a smile as she went along. He had almost been able to feel her worry and fright. In the way that her feet plodded against the ground, and in the way that her grip on the Fay flying beside her tightened drastically. Jack was worrying her, this whole thing was worrying her. He wanted to tell himself that it was no big deal, that he could be able to fix it with a few toys and some new games. But he knew that this went far beyond that now.

A few simple distractions wouldn't be able to cover the problem.

The words rang in Jack's head as he sat on Jamie's bedside, blue eyes empty and bleak as he took in the boy's worsened state. That had been a few hours ago. Nine hours to be precise. Nine hours, twenty-nine minutes, and fifty seconds. But in ten seconds, it would be nine hours, thirty minutes, and zero seconds. And then in ten _more _seconds, it would be-

"Jack." The voice cut through the Winter Sprite's contemplating of time, the boy jerking forwards with shock as he turned towards the door. North shuffled inside of the room, blue eyes flashing down to check on Jamie before he went on. Jack deflated visibly at the movement, turning and doing the same. Despite the fact that he had been sitting here for much too long, the state that the child had decayed into still made the teen's head reel. The boy had black rings underneath his eyes, a dark contrast against his deathly-pale completion. His skin seemed to stretch around his skeleton, the boy getting thinner and thinner with each passing day. His ribs showed through as minor bumps in his shirt, resembling ridges of a mountain range. His breathing was done in a hitched sort of fashion; his chest jerked up and down unsteadily, like there was a large weight sitting on his stomach.

For a minute, that was all that Jack could see. His weighted blue eyes bored into the picture with an agonized look, setting around him dimming as he looked desperately down at his friend. He didn't know who was in more pain: Jamie, or himself. But then he finally tore his gaze away, forcing himself to look back at North. The man was looking at him expectantly, the boy jumping mentally as he realized that the man had asked him a question. The Guardian sighed at the boy's confused expression, shaking his head for a heartbeat before he repeated the words that Jack had missed. "I asked if you were alright." He said, Russian accent morphing and stretching the words oddly.

"Oh, sure." Jack said dryly, rolling his azure eyes as he turned away pointedly. "I'm just peachy, North." He growled, shoulders tightening up tensely. His body posture obviously said 'Get out. Can't you see I don't want you here?' But North didn't seem to get the memo, pacing forward until he stood beside the Winter Sprite. He reached over, clapping one large hand on top of Jack's shoulder, tightening it comfortingly as he gave the boy a small shake. Jack sighed heavily, turning his head and looking up at the man with a sorrowful gaze.

"I know that something is troubling you." He said, eyes searching Jack as they looked him up and down. "Do you want to say what it is?" He asked invitingly.

Jack stiffened, ducking out of them man's embrace as he took a few good steps away. "No." He said firmly. "No, I think I'm good. I'm not one for many…heart-to-heart talks, you know?" North blinked rapidly, making a move as to reach out again to the boy, but Jack's eyes narrowed, blue orbs flashing dangerously. "I'm _fine_." He said, voice much sharper this time as he stopped North in his tracks. "Seriously, North. If you just came here to bug me, go away." There was an unusual amount of venom in his voice, but he shrugged it off carelessly, too hurt to try and make his tone better. He was tired enough by doing it with Sophie, he wasn't going to pretend like nothing was happening around the Guardians.

"Jack." North huffed, eyeing the boy a little sternly. "Is not good to bottle up feelings. You will blow up to be twice as big as me if you do so." His blue eyes twinkled merrily at this, and Jack stole a glance over at him, sullen look lifting for a moment as the side of his mouth twitched upwards. But it was dashed almost at once as he shook his head quickly, trying to clear it hastily. Instead, he forced himself to ask the question that had been biting at him, that had hung over him like a vulture at dinner.

"Did it work?" He asked flatly, studying the man carefully in case he tried to lie. When North only looked back at him, confused, he rolled his eyes. Backtracking, the boy clarified: "Sending me, Tooth, and Sandy out to the kids." He explained, going a little slower for the older Guardian's sake. "Did our powers help anything at all, or was it all for nothing?"

"Nothing is for nothing." North assured him.

"But this was." Jack corrected himself, gloomy look returning to cloud over his face.

North did not contradict him. Only saying with a huff: "Things are different. We were not prepared for thing such as this."

"We underestimated him." Jack said, growling through clenched teeth. His hands clenched into tight fists at his sides, frost creeping out from underneath his feet, spreading like cobwebs across the floor. But if North was alarmed, he didn't show it. He merely looked at Jack sadly, a hint of something close to pity in his eyes as he stared at the teen. Which only made Jack even more angry. He didn't _want _to be pitied. He didn't _want _people's sadness trained on him.

He wanted Jamie.

"We underestimated him, and now there's nothing we can do to stop whatever he's up to." Jack said thickly, teeth grinding together almost painfully. And yet he wasn't even aware of the shiver that went up his spine from the action. All he was aware of was Jamie's limp form on the bed, the boy's cries that escaped every once and a while being amplified in his head. The boy's mumbles of pain were like screams in Jack's head, pounding and throbbing with an aching feeling of loss. He raised his arm, drawing a hand through his hair as he mussed it up out of nervous habit. He shook his head back and forth quickly, feeling frustration clawing at the back of his throat.

When North refused to speak, Jack threw his hands up into the air, spinning around in a tight circle, getting on his toes as he tried to look taller. "Well!?" He demanded, waving his arms for emphasis. North cocked an eyebrow, having the nerve to look faintly surprised. Jack went back on the balls of his feet, huffing out a short puff of air, white bangs fluttering up evenly as he did so. "You don't have any more _encouragement_?" He asked, voice dripping with sarcasm. North looked at him helplessly, hands out in front of him as he drew a panicked blank. Jack shook his head, muttering underneath his breath. "Of course you don't." He said angrily. "There is no encouragement left."

"We do all we can-"

"But it isn't _good _enough." Jack retorted.

"Then what are we to do?" North demanded, voice sharpening with a small hint of irritation by now.

"We could do more than sit around here!" Jack pressed, fuming as a red blush rose to color his face. "It's no good just standing around! We can't just send out a few…a few good dreams! Or snow! Or handing back _teeth_! We have to get out there and find the source of all this!" North's eyes widened with shock, but Jack swept on quickly, not giving him a moment to interrupt. "We have to find Pitch's lair and we have to attack the nightmares! Where they're originating from! I mean- how else are we going to get this over with?"

"It is not that simple, Jack!" North protested.

"No?" Jack flashed back, eyes getting dangerously dark as he leaned forward slightly. "Or are you just too afraid to go out there and actually _face _what's going on here?" He asked, jabbing a finger over at Jamie almost accusingly. "You said that we protect the kids of the world!" The door creaked open in the middle of his words, but Jack didn't even bat an eye as he raged on. "_This _isn't protecting the kids of the world! It's sitting off to the sidelines like cowards and watching everything unfold! Watching as Jamie dies! Watching as Sophie wonders where in the world her parents are! Or why she can't see her big brother! This isn't a tag-team thing, North! We can't just dash in when it's convenient!"

"Now listen here-" He tried. But Jack cut him off.

"I don't wanna listen anymore! _You _aren't listening to _me_!" He objected.

"Excuse me." The two whipped around at the voice, Bunnymund standing in the doorway as he eyed the two a little crossly. "But I couldn't help but hear you two fighting abut three floors down." He commented dryly, one ear flicking back and forth with irritation. North sighed heavily, relaxing at the sight of the other Guardian, maybe thinking that at least he would be able to have support now. But Jack still bristled, changing his glare so that it was trained on Bunny. But if the rabbit noticed, he gave no heed. Instead, he just gave the boy a look that said: 'You're kidding me, right?' "You know that what you're saying is near impossible, right Mate?"

"How so?" Jack asked scathingly, looking the tall hare up and down skeptically.

"Well, for starters, that'd mean leaving the little ankle-biters alone here while we go hopping off to who-knows-where." He started, watching with a hint of satisfaction as Jack deflated at this. "Second of all, we aren't even sure where Pitch is in the first place. Thirdly, we got no idea how strong he is. And lastly: you're an idiot that shouldn't make plans."

Jack rolled his eyes grouchily. "I found the place once." He snapped. "I could find it again."

"Mhm." Bunny murmured, looking unimpressed as he studied his boomerang. "Tell me, how long would that take, Mate?"

Jack's upper lip curled angrily in response, the teen trying to grope for an answer, for something to say. But he came up with a blank, feeling the silence like a slap in the face as he jerked backwards slightly. His mouth remained open, jaw slack, as if he were about to say something. But Bunny seemed to realize that he had won the argument, giving a needless shrug. "For things to work, you'll have to think past your own nose." He looked at him sternly a moment before adding: "It wont do much good for us if you go and get yourself killed."

"Sometimes I wonder how _old_ you think I am." Jack said thinly.

"Sometimes I wonder how old _you _want to act." Bunny flashed.

"Can't you see I'm just trying to help more than we are already!?" Jack demanded in a shout.

"Jack, Bunny-" North tried to step through them, trying to get between the two before things could get any worse. But Jack waved him off roughly, blue eyes blazing as he glared up challengingly at the Easter Bunny. His nails dug into the palm of his hand, already gouging out small indentions in his skin. North stopped at the furious look overcoming Jack's face, looking a little startled as he took a step backwards.

"I get that you're new here." Bunny said dryly, Jack bristling at the notion. "So let me give you a little advice before you go and do anything stupid. Or stupider. When you're a Guardian, Mate, you're a Guardian. And that means that you don't go off on your own, you don't make plans for yourself, and you don't go out of your way to make people angry." His green eyes sharpened at the words, but Jack just rolled his eyes in response. Catching the rude motion, Bunny suddenly sighed, shoulders sagging. His tone turned much gentler by now, and Jack's anger melted away to be quickly replaced by surprise.

"Look." Bunnymund said, voice a little lower now. His gaze switched from boring into Jack, to linger sadly on Jamie. Jack turned, doing the same as he looked down at the once-lively child. With a pang of sadness, Jack remembered all the times that him and Jamie had played. How the boy had run, how he had jumped and twirled and laughed and smiled. And now…he was bedridden. Unable to even open his eyes as he let out sharp gasps or yelps. Jack longed to rush forward, to lash out and yank Jamie out of whatever prison he was in and bring him back. Bring him back to where it was safe. Bring him back to him. But he couldn't see how he could save Jamie from himself.

The only tactic he had to cling to was being taken away from him right now.

"The kids depend on us, Jack." Bunny explained, gentle tone sounding a little forced. "If we go and act without thinking…who knows what could happen? If we're gone, then there's no hope at all left." His words were slow and calculating, as though he were talking to a toddler. "We have to gather up all the info, Mate. If we charge in feet-first, then we might as well just sit back and watch Pitch take over."

"It's taking too long." Jack sighed, though his voice lost a considerable amount of fight.

North opened his mouth to say something, but at that moment, Sandy chose to walk inside the room. The yellow Guardian headed inside, but stopped short at the sight of them all together. Bunny and Jack were still looking at each other with agitation, North still trying to get in between them as best he could. Tension was stiff in the air, and it seemed to be obvious that they had been fighting. Sandy blew out his cheeks with alarm and awkwardness, blinking rapidly as he started to back out of the room again. But Jack finally managed to snap out of it, turning swiftly and putting his back pointedly to the Easter Bunny.

"It's fine, Sandy." Jack said, giving his best impression of a smile as he looked over at the smaller man. He heard Jamie let out another groan, fighting the urge to crawl into a corner and die. The smile on his face wavered, and it came out as more of a painful grimace. Sandy started, looking almost guilty as he stared questioningly at the boy. "It's fine." He repeated, more forceful this time around. "You came to help Jamie, right?" Not giving him a chance to answer, Jack started towards the door, pulling his hood up as he walked in an attempt to cover up his disappointed face. "I guess I'll go…" He trailed off, reaching out for the door and creaking it open. He hesitated a moment, searching for something to say.

What could he do?

"…find Sophie." He improvised.

He started out the door, but Bunny stopped him as he called after the teen. "Be careful where ya step." He warned, Jack paling somewhat as he straightened. "One wrong step in this whole mess, and we could all end up twelve feet under. If you know what I mean."

"…Y- Yeah." Jack managed, eyes wide as he felt himself get at least twenty degrees colder. He tried to move forward, but suddenly felt himself immobile. The words were hauntingly close to something he'd heard before. Something that Pitch had shown him.

_You shouldn't have left, Mate. Now look where it got ya._

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

Sophie was just waking up by the time that Jack managed to find the room again. This place was so big, sometimes he forgot which way was up and which was down. It seemed as though Tooth had stayed with the girl all night, and when Jack opened the door and poked his head inside, he hardly recognized the room. It was neat and orderly, the haphazardly-stacked presents not arranged into small little stacks around the room. You could actually see the room itself, now. Not just all the junk that was shoved inside. Now it actually looked like it had some cleanliness to it.

Sophie was sitting in her sleeping bag, looking startled as she looked left and right throughout the room. From the state of her hair and the look on her face, Jack could tell that she probably just woke up. The blonde caught sight of him almost at once though, straightening as a small smile hinted on her lips. But before she could call out a 'good-morning' or a 'hello', Tooth rounded one of the stacks of presents, blinking with cheerful surprise as she flew forward. "Good morning, Sophie!" She sang, voice trilling like a cadence of bells. She stopped short as she caught sight of Jack, face reddening with surprise. "Oh, and Jack, too!" She amended rapidly. "How long have you been here?"

"I just got here a second ago." Jack answered, feeling Sophie's eyes bore into him curiously. No doubt the girl was thinking about Jack's odd behavior from before, but then again, he couldn't blame her. Even he was wondering what had gone on when he blacked out and suddenly found himself back at the Workshop. Or if he even blacked out in the first place. All he knew was that Pitch was behind whatever had happened, just like the man was responsible for every other confusing thing that happened around here. Pushing aside the thoughts and questions, he forced himself to concentrate. "Am I in the right room?" He teased, watching as some of the tension left both Tooth and Sophie's shoulders. "It's way too clean in here to be the same place I left a few days ago."

Tooth let out a delighted hum, sounding way too happy. "That's thanks to me." She said affirmatively. Jack rolled his eyes in Sophie's direction, giving the little girl a look that said: 'Of course.' The blonde gave a smile in return, but it didn't seem to reach her eyes. Tooth went on, though. "It's obvious that North is way too lazy to pick anything up in this room." Translation: 'He's way too busy and worried to even thinking about Spring Cleaning.' "So while everybody was off doing their own thing, I decided to pick things up around here. Organizing the things that Sophie might want to play with," She gave the girl an excited grin at this, in which Sophie returned a little shyly. Jack's forehead creased slightly at the lack emotion the girl seemed to have this morning. But Tooth obviously didn't get it. "and then maybe things that _we _could use."

Jack's interest perked at this, but Tooth's voice sounded a little less than hopeful. She turned over to a rather large stack towards the back of the room, but it mostly just looked to be emergency things. Raincoats and an umbrella (must have been a pairing gift), bed sheets, clothes, heavy winter gear, and things of that nature. Nothing that showed a possible way of fixing things. Jack sighed underneath his breath, trying not to show how disappointed he was. Instead, he turned around, shooting Sophie a crooked grin. "Anyway, Squirt. How're you?" He asked brightly, trying to match Tooth's tone of voice as best he could.

Sophie blinked, remaining silent.

Jack looked a little concerned, going forward so that he was crouching down in front of her. "Sophie?" He prompted.

The little girl's lower lip trembled slightly as she looked at the Guardian, suddenly seeming fearful and scared. Jack jerked backwards, looking as though he came to the conclusion even before the girl said anything. But when she did, it still felt like a slap in the face. "I had a bad dream." She whimpered, voice smaller than normal. Tooth's feathers brushed up with surprise at this, coral eyes shimmering with danger as she flitted backwards. Jack froze for a moment, the full-force of the situation like a punch in the gut. _It's happening. _He thought wildly. _If Pitch's nightmares can reach all the way to here now…_

_What's the point in keeping a down-low?_

"Aw, Soph." Jack sighed lightly, closing his eyes and giving a brisk shake of the head. "Bad dreams aren't anything to worry about." He lied easily, watching with a hint of relief as Sophie seemed to listen to him. She calmed down a little, sniffling as she turned, grabbing her Giraffe in her arms and holding it close. She rested her chin on its head, looking up glumly at Jack. Seeing the stuffed animal gave Jack an idea, and his eyes suddenly lit up as he pointed to the toy. "You remember what I said when I first gave you that?" He asked invitingly.

"…'It's on the house?'" She offered weakly, looking confused.

"No, no." Jack laughed, pulling stuff out of thin air as quick as he could. "I said that it was special! That it was a magic Giraffe!"

"…You did?" Sophie asked, starting to brighten up.

Tooth looked at Jack a little skeptically.

"Pft. Of course I did, Squirt, don't you remember?" Jack asked. But when Sophie just looked at him oddly, he swept on quickly. "I didn't really specify anyway." He reached out, grabbing the stuffed Giraffe and displaying it almost proudly. "You see," He said firmly. "this isn't just a toy. It's a… it's a _Guardian _toy." He said, Sophie's face breaking out into a wide beam at the words. Jack tried not to focus on the look that Tooth was giving him, or the fact that he was lying. Both of which were pressing matters. "It has special powers, Sophie. But they can only be released by the special somebody that cares enough about it." He reached out, prodding the girl softly in the chest as he spoke.

Sophie bounced up and down excitedly, nightmare slipping her mind for the moment. "What does it do? What does it do?" She demanded. "Does it fly? Does it turn invisible? Does it change into other animals? Does it get big or little? Does it fly? Does it fly? Does it fly?" She clapped her hands together in elation, Tooth's eyes softening at the sight of the girl's newfound joy. Jack's forced smile became a little less fake as the blonde rambled on, the boy giving a small laugh. But he quickly cut her off before she could keep talking, anxious not to let her get her hopes up too much.

"If you believe in it hard enough, it'll do anything you want, Sophie." Jack said, holding out the stuffed animal for her to take back. Sophie looked startled at this, reaching out a little tentatively as she handled the toy with much more care than she had before. Her eyes were filled with wonder as she stared down at the thing, and when she looked back up to Jack, she just looked confused.

"Anything?" She asked reluctantly.

Jack shrugged one shoulder. "Sure." He said easily. "Sophie, if you believe in something hard enough, anything will come true." He paused a moment before adding: "And it'll keep the nightmares away. If you just think in your head that the Nightmares can't hurt you when you have…" The name of the Giraffe slipped his mind. Didn't Sophie say it was a girl? He guessed it didn't matter anyway. "…this with you." He finished. "It'll be your guard to keep the scary things away. It'll protect you."

Tooth's wings faltered in their strokes, the fairy drifting down so that she was sitting on the ground next to Jack. Her pink eyes were unusually weighted down as she looked over at him through her lashes. Jack tried not to look at her, for fear of breaking his streak of smiling. As if she understood his reasoning, Tooth reached over slowly, placing her hand lightly on top of his. She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, trying to comfort him as best she could. But the next thing Sophie said shattered any hope of him forgetting his worries.

"If I give this to Jamie, will he get better?" She asked softly.

Jack and Tooth stiffened at the question, Tooth's eyes misting over a little. Jack thought of a million things he could say to make her feel better. Yes. Maybe. As long as you believe. But he couldn't. He couldn't lie to her any more than he already had. "No, Sophie." He said quietly, watching as the girl's face fell and crumbled into a frown once more. "It'll only work for you. That's…that's how Guardian magic works. When I put the…uh…special snow dust on top of it, I made it so that its magic will only work for you."

"Oh." She said, subdued as she tried to figure out what the teen meant.

"But, you know, you can't just use the magic willy-nilly all the time." Jack said, pushing himself up so that he was standing. "There's a special routine you have to do. After all, you have to have a magic word to make spells, don't you?"

"A routine?" Sophie asked, titling her head to the side. "Like…a dance?"

Jack paused, staring at her awkwardly. He'd forgotten where he was going with this one. Wasn't he just trying to cheer her up? Things got out of hand, it looked like. But then he lifted his arm, pointing at Sophie with an impressed look. "Exactly!" He said. Tooth cocked an eyebrow, following Jack's lead as she took to hovering in the air. She crossed her arms over her chest, looking at Jack with a stare that plainly said: 'You need to know when to quit.' "The thing you have to do, is: spin around in a circle, clap your hands five…no…eight times, do a little dance, put everything you got into it, and then shout: 'I believe, I believe, I believe!'"

Sophie mouthed the words to herself, committing them to memory as she looked down oddly at the thing in her arms. "This little Giraffe can do all that?" She asked, voice doubtful suddenly. It seemed like Jack's instructions didn't really suffice to her.

"Well, not if you think like that." Jack said, saying it as though it should be obvious. "You gotta have faith in it. Without faith, where would you be?" He asked, tilting his head to the side as he looked right into the girl's eyes. Sophie looked downcast at this, but she seemed to hold herself a little higher as she gave her Giraffe a small hug. Jack smiled, "If you have that with you, you have all of us with you, okay? You just remember that." He leaned forward, placing his right hand on her chest, right over her heart. "When you have this…no matter what happens, you'll be safe. Safe from everything."

Sophie looked at his hand blankly before saying, "You promise?"

"'Course I promise." Jack said, leaning back and giving her a wink. "Now, all 'magic' stuff aside, how about we go get us some breakfast?" More time had passed than he had first thought; it was almost ten by now. "I'm sure the Yetis will whip us up a few waffles, what do you think?"

Sophie rocketed out of her sleeping bag, eyes gleaming at the prospect of food. "Yeah! Yeah!" She agreed hastily. "Can Tooth come with us? Can she, can she?" Tooth smiled gently at her questions, glowing from the girl's turnabout. Before, Sophie had difficulty being in the same room as her. Now, it looked like Tooth was her favorite. Along with Bunny and Jack, of course. (But he would always be her favorite, of course.) "I want pancakes! Can we have a race there? I bet I can remember the way there faster than you! Can you teach me the dance I have to do to make my Giraffe become magic? Maybe we can do that while we're eating! What are you going to eat, Jack? I'll have what you're having!"

"Alright, Squirt, we'll meet you down there, okay?" He asked.

"Sure!" Sophie giggled, doing a tight spin as she dashed out the door without a second thought.

The two stood in silence for a heartbeat, the only noise was the fading footsteps of Sophie as she sprinted for the Dining Room. And the humming buzz of Tooth's wings as she flew alongside Jack. But then she broke the peacefulness, turning and looking at Jack with a tender gaze. "That was sweet." She said. "What you said about us always being with her."

But Jack only shook his head. "But it wont be enough." He said in reply. "Not for long."

Tooth sighed softly through her nose, turning and looking after Sophie mournfully. "No." She agreed. "I suppose not."

"Pitch's powers are getting stronger." Jack stated. "If they can reach all the way here. To someone like Sophie."

Tooth closed her eyes gently. "What can we do?" She asked sadly. "We've backed ourselves into a corner. It seems like there's nothing we can do."

"I don't know." Jack mumbled in reply, sounding thoughtful as he looked down at the ground.

"We've given them everything." She said, looking anxious. "We've given Sophie and Jamie a home to stay. We've given away nearly all my teeth. You've made it snow, Sandy's been trying his hardest to give out dreams." She shook her head. "But nothing seems to work. We've tried everything, and its only been a couple of days. Why is he getting stronger? How do we stop him?" Her pink eyes turned darker with hopelessness. "We've given them everything." She repeated hollowly.

Jack was lost in thought, blue eyes closing in on themselves with concentration. He remembered what he had said to Bunny before, and the rabbit's accompanied reaction. _The kids depend on us, Jack._ They couldn't all rush out at once to dive into trouble. They might not be able to return. They might die all together, unable to help the kids anymore. If they all went at once, everything would fall apart.

…But if only one of them…

"We haven't given them everything." Jack corrected her. "Not yet."

Tooth started, looking confused. She opened her mouth to ask, but Jack was already gone, racing after Sophie.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

A/N: Sorry for the ending! I'm kinda on the fence about it…

But as you can see, (from da line from Batman XDDDDD) this story is going to pick up VERY soon. Next chapter, I think something big will happen ;)

But that's just between you, me, and the lamppost. ;D

For now, the more you review, the faster I'll update! And the faster I update, the more awesome this story gets~~!

SEE YA SOON HOPEFULLY~! ^^


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and feedback! I've gotten really excited for what's in store in this fanfiction! SO…without further ado, let's get into the thick of things, shall we? ;)

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

The room was quiet. If somebody were to come inside and drop a pencil to the ground, it would be the equivalent of an atomic bomb erupting right inside the small space. The only noise was the howling of the winter wind outside, snow raining down and splattering against the windows in a white powder. Jamie's hitched breathing was the only other sound in the silence, something that made Jack wince whenever it made its presence known. The little boy was curled up in a tight ball on the edge of the bed, eyes screwed shut tightly as he gave a small shiver every once and a while. Jack sat down next to the trembling form of his friend, blue eyes shaded with sadness as he rubbed comforting circles on the child's back.

The other Guardians had left the room as Jack came inside, having a good instinct to steer clear from the Winter Sprite given the past few days. He guessed that it was for the better, and yet when North and Sandy brushed past the teen and out into the hallway, he couldn't help but feel a small pang of loneliness. And maybe a little guilt. Was he supposed to be this high-strung? This tense? This worried? He couldn't help it. Whenever he thought of the situation that they were all in, all he wanted to do was go crawl into the nearest corner and die. A morbid kind of thought, and yet it would be preferred, actually. At least, by this time, it would.

They were in this hopeless situation, what else were they to do? In charge of two children, who's parents were out cold somewhere in a hospital. Accompanied with the entire fate of the world resting heavily on their shoulders, they could do literally nothing. They could only watch as the world around them got colder and darker, voice of hopes and dreams and all the other things that made the globe shimmering with yellow lights. Now, all the lights that had managed to keep beaming were flickering on and off, unsure in their own belief. It was a reminder of the way that things were going, getting worse and worse as the days went by. Even now, as Jack looked over and out the window, he could see the way things were getting dreary and sad. The moon seemed to shine a little colder, the stars seeming obscured by the muggy clouds that drifted lazily across the sky. It looked like it would storm soon, he thought, narrowing his eyes at the thick puffs of cloud that gradually clogged the night air.

Jamie suddenly twisted to the side violently, tossing in his sleep the entirely wrong way. He jerked to the side, starting to fall off the bed that he was already starting to waver on. Jack tensed at once, eyes widening as he lurched forward, grabbing the boy's shoulders tightly in an effort to save him from a tumble to the ground. He caught the kid halfway mid-fall, the boy's legs hanging awkwardly off of the bed as his head remained on the pillow. Jack sighed mentally, relief flooding through him as he started to pull back, hoisting Jamie back onto the bed. He tried to be as gentle as he could, trying to situate him to where he had been originally. "Whew." Jack breathed out, drawing back once he made sure that Jamie was securely back in the center of the bed. "That could have been bad." He said, smiling crookedly as he looked down at the brunette.

Jamie didn't reply, of course, brown locks hanging down in front of his eyes as he rested his head on the pillow. Jack's grin faded away slowly, changing into a small wince as he studied the child. Then he sighed listlessly, reaching out and wrapping his hand around the boy's hand. He tried to be comforting, just like Tooth had tried to do back when he was talking with Sophie. But he couldn't really force himself to be optimistic. "C'mon, Jamie." He sighed tiredly, sadness tingeing his voice as he spoke. He broke the silence that had been hanging over the room like a vulture, but he ignored the thought. He shook his head back and forth slowly, blue eyes suddenly desperate as he looked at the boy. "All you have to do is wake up." He pleaded, voice rasping in his throat a little painfully. When the boy didn't reply, Jack sighed, closing his eyes.

He opened them after a minute, blue eyes dark and sad as he looked down at Jamie. He smiled softly, though there was no happiness in his voice as he talked down to the sleeping kid. "You and I are obviously at what they call a cross-roads." He whispered, shoulders hunching slightly at the words. "If you're okay…if any of this will be okay…" He paused, throat feeling as though it was swelling. He swallowed back the odd feeling before going on, choked. "then you have to prove it. Like…right now." Nothing from the boy. He turned, leaning back and laying down alongside Jamie's limp form. His eyes misted over slightly. "…I believe in you." He offered weakly, as if that would help anything.

Nothing.

Jack reached out slowly, wrapping his arms around the child and drawing him closer. He tightened his embrace, gently holding the boy close as he closed his eyes, already feeling them stinging and burning with unshed tears. Jamie didn't deserve any of this. At all. This was all his fault. He held the child even closer, ducking his head and burying it into his shoulder. "I'm sorry." He whispered hoarsely. "I really am. If that even accounts for anything." Which it wouldn't. No amount of apologies would probably ever be able to cover up for this fatal mistake that Jack had made in not paying more attention to the kids. He should have hovered over the two, stood guard for them at night. He had known that something was going on when he first saw the globe's shadows, but he had gotten the nerve to brush it off like it didn't matter.

He'd been careless. And now he was paying the price for being so.

"Jack!" A sudden yell coming down the hallway shocked Jack, the boy jerking backwards as he snatched his hands back to himself. His blue eyes were wide, and he jumped into the air, hovering as he watched the door with a shocked expression. Jamie flopped back sloppily on the bed, and Jack shot him an apologetic grimace. But he couldn't go back down and fix him all over again, because as soon as he made a move to go down again, the door burst open wide. For a minute, Jack thought something was wrong. He snatched back his wooden staff, pointing it towards the door and swooping forward threateningly. But what he got wasn't an intruder.

It was Sophie.

The blonde beamed widely at the sight of Jack, even if he was aiming his weapon at her. She giggled, as if finding something funny. Tooth was behind her, looking a little guilty as she shot Jack a silent look of apology. It looked like she didn't want Sophie near this room at all. The girl bounced up and down, blonde locks jiggling lopsidedly as she did so. She held her Giraffe tightly to her chest, and she dashed into the room, skirting around Jack quickly. "Is this where Jamie is?" She asked excitedly, not even pausing a moment as she rushed up to Jamie's bedside. Jack stiffened at once, blue eyes getting bigger than the moon as he felt a small jolt of panic going through his spine.

Immediately, he swung around to face Tooth, almost nose-to-nose with the Fay as he glared at her accusingly. Her hands fisted tightly at her sides, pink eyes flashing at the glower, but she did not defend herself. After a moment, she turned away, closing her eyes and giving a small sigh through her nose. Her wings faltered in their strides for a heartbeat, and Jack could tell that she was guilty for not stopping the girl sooner. Fighting the urge to roll his eyes in her direction, Jack turned slowly, wincing already as he looked back at Sophie.

The girl was perched up on her toes, green eyes shining happily as she leaned over on the bed, reaching her arms out and poking her big brother in the side. "Jamie!" She sang, repeating his name as she jumped up and down. Jack grimaced, going across the room and reaching out to grab the girl's shoulder. But she turned before he could, looking almost a little offended. "He's still sleeping?" She demanded, expression turning a little hurt as she tilted her to the side. Jack searched for something to say to her in response, mouth slightly open as he groped for words.

Sophie straightened at the lack of comment, blinking as she looked down at the Giraffe she held in her arms. Jack flinched inwardly, biting his lower lip in desperation as he braces himself for what she was surely going to say. She answered his fears almost as once, the girl lifting up her arms and displaying her Giraffe up in the air, pushing her toy closer to Jack as he took an awkward step backwards. "Can I use this now?" She prompted, green eyes flashing as she saw Jack's hesitation.

"Uh…" He blanched for a moment, blinking rapidly as he tried to figure out what to say. Tooth started at the lack of words, realizing that Jack was drawing a huge blank. The fairy's wings started up once again, wings flickering to sudden life as she rushed forward. Once she came to a stop over the girl, Tooth managed a gentle grin at the little girl.

"Hey, Sophie! How about we-"

Sophie didn't listen, dropping her Giraffe on the bed with a plop. She raised her arms, reaching over her head and starting to clap her hands together loudly. She spun around lopsidedly, almost tripping over herself as she pranced rapidly. Tooth smiled awkwardly at the sight, counting the claps and mentally cursing herself. Jack hung his head, reaching up and smacking his forehead incessantly as he counted the slaps to eight. Letting his hand linger across his face, Jack peered out from between his fingers, watching as Sophie then started to go into a chicken dance.

Tooth bit her bottom lip, reaching forward tentatively. "Sophie, sweetie…" She tried.

Sophie ignored her, doing a sped-up version of the disco. A look of supreme concentration was on her face. Jack didn't know whether that made it all the more funny, or just sadder. Probably a mixture of the two, he figured. Tooth whirled around to look back at him, throwing out her arms and gesturing to Sophie rapidly. Her eyes said all she didn't as they bored angry holes into his hoodie, and Jack gave a panicked shrug. What was he supposed to do? He hadn't expected Sophie to actually pay attention to what he'd said! Tooth huffed angrily, watching as the girl changed to the Macarena. Ducking her head low, she leaned over to be a centimeter away from Jack's face. "You were the one that caused this!" She snapped harshly, voice rasping against her throat as she hissed out a whisper. "So fix it! Don't let her look dumb!"

Jack sighed dramatically, Tooth's glare unflinching at his huff. Rolling his eyes carelessly, Jack pushed himself off the ground, flying over easily to check on Jamie before he did anything. He peered down at the child with a small hint of concern, which was hard to have on your face when a blonde six year old was doing the Macarena behind you. But Jamie appeared untouched. He was tossing and turning a little more, his right hand twisting tightly into the sheets of the bed. He was getting stressed for some reason; Jack had to get Sophie out of here before anything bad could happen. If she saw anything that they've been trying to keep from her…

"Hey, Squirt." Jack said, tearing his gaze away from Jamie as he looked over to his sister.

She was breaking out the Hokey Pokey. "How long do I have to dance to make my Giraffe magic?" She demanded, voice a high squeak.

"See…that's the thing…" Jack mumbled uncomfortably. "You can't-"

"Do I yell now?" Sophie demanded, obviously not listening to him.

"Sophie, I was just kidding when-"

"I believe! I believe! I believe!" Sophie sang in a high soprano.

"Ugh." Jack flinched away, already feeling the wave of disappointment radiating off of the girl as she stopped dancing. She looked over at Jamie, blinking with confusion as she took in her brother's still-sleeping state. Her eyes were calculating as she surveyed him, and Jack tried to take a step forward. "You see, Sophie." He tried, already feeling the guilt at the lie hanging over his shoulders. Tooth's wings stopped in their fluttering, the fairy dropping down to sit on the ground with a glum look on her face. Sophie dropped her arms down to her sides, swinging them slowly as she became quiet.

"Look, Squirt, I'm really sorr-"

"I didn't say it loud enough." Sophie declared, rolling her eyes as if to say: 'That's pretty obvious, right?'

Jack reached out to stop her, before she could try again. But she ducked away.

"I believe!" She sang.

"Great." Jack growled.

"I believe!"

"You shouldn't have said anything in the first place." Tooth mumbled.

"Thanks for helping." Jack commented back dryly.

"I believe!"

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

Pitch watched the scene unfold through the eyes of his lingering nightmares that were going through Jamie's head. He had paused in his wrecking of the boy's psyche, mildly amused as he turned to see what was going on in the awake-world. Though he must rather preferred lingering in the minds of the insane, the surface-world could be interesting every once and a while. He watched from the sidelines, a mere shadow against the wall. After all, nobody notices a shadow during the night; it goes unnoticed and unclaimed. For now, it is that way, anyway. The thought caused him to smirk as he looked in front of him, observing the refreshing chaos with a wolfish grin.

The idiot girl had something in her mind, it seemed. The words that she was shouting…Pitch's grin was wiped away immediately at this, a scowl replacing them as she yelled the words: 'I believe.' Belief? Hope? Did those things still exist? The thoughts went as slightly sarcastic; of course they still existed. His plan hadn't been fully launched, yet. But nevertheless: the nerve of that girl was enough to set his teeth on edge. She needed to be taught differently.

Jack spoke up, catching Pitch's attention like a hook would a fish. His eyes rested on the Guardian almost hungrily as the boy spoke up, words striking the man like a blow to the chest. "Sophie…" It was obvious that whatever was going on was taking a toll on the teen. Pitch's eyes narrowed as he surveyed the boy's body language. Everything that he wasn't letting on. His stooped posture, his hunched shoulders. The small weight of depression hiding in the depths of his blue eyes as he looked down at the girl. "…I have a confession." He said, Pitch's eyes roving to rest on Jamie. "Just dancing…it wont help Jamie, okay? You can't…he's sick, honey. Really sick. You can't…" He trailed off, unable to finish as he looked at Sophie in despair.

He was at his breaking point.

Sophie glared up at him. "It will!" She snapped a little childishly. She dashed over to Jamie's bedside, lunging forward and giving her brother a violent shake. "Wake up, Jamie!" She ordered. "Show Jack that he's wrong! My Giraffe _is _magic! I know it is! So you can wake up now! Stop pretending." Her back was to Jack, the girl unaware of the boy's flinch backwards, as if slapped across the face. Tooth shot up into the air, going over and standing anxiously beside the boy. Almost like she was there to catch him if he fell.

How interesting.

Pitch slowly looked from Jack, then to the little girl and boy. His eyes suddenly lit up, and he grinned toothily. The expression held a dark sort of humor as he looked at Jack. "I wonder how much it would take for you to fall over the edge." He whispered, voice coming through his clenched teeth in an eerie hissing sound. Jack's brow furrowed, looking around suddenly, as if he had heard something out of the ordinary. But Pitch only laughed, raising one hand into the air slowly. _My patience is running thin, Jack_. He thought menacingly. _My plan will only work with two. Maybe this will give you the nudge you need._

He pushed two fingers together tightly, a small laugh curling in the back of his throat.

_Come find me. _He challenged.

He crumbled away like black sand, a sharp snap erupting from his hands as he pushed his thumb and middle finger against one another. He let it ring out a moment before vanishing from the room. It was like he had never been there in the first place.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

"Wake up! Wake up! My Giraffe is magic! I know it helped you!" Sophie pleaded, voice becoming choked as Jamie didn't reply. Jack closed his eyes tightly, hearing footsteps getting closer and closer outside the door. No doubt it was the other Guardians. Tooth heard it as well, frowning guiltily as she peered over towards the noise. But then she turned to Jack, voice soft and weighted as she spoke up.

"I'm sorry." She apologized. "I tried to stop her from coming in here, but…"

"S'fine." Jack muttered thickly, listening deftly as the tromping got closer and closer. "I'll take the blame."

"No, I couldn't-" The door opened wide, North, Sandy, and Bunnymund standing at the entrance with triplet looks of surprise and shock. Tooth's words were cut off as she turned to face them, meeting their looks with her own sorrowful one.

"Too late." Jack sighed loosely.

"What's going on here?" Bunny demanded, looking at Sophie with a mixture of anger and sadness. "Who let the ankle-biter in? I thought we were trying to protect her!" His voice sharpened at this next part, slightly accusing as he looked at the pair.

"I'm sorry-" Tooth started.

But Jack swerved around her, planting himself in front of the Fay. "It's my fault." He said quickly. "I wasn't paying attention, and-"

Suddenly, Sophie let out a sharp squeak, falling off the bed and slamming down to the ground with a nasty-sounding thud. All of the Guardians whirled around at the noise, but Jack was fastest. Leaping forward, he zoomed right for the girl, propping her up and helping her stand back upright. "Sophie!" He said anxiously, looking over the girl rapidly. She looked at him with wide eyes, looking oddly scared as she stared at him blankly. "Are you hurt?" He asked, voice raising in volume as panic washed over him. What was with that look? When she didn't say anything, Jack leaned in closer, the other Guardians entering to the room to surround the bed. "Sophie!" Jack yelled, giving the girl a shake.

"Jack." Tooth whispered suddenly, voice dry.

"Ugh." Jack turned to look at her, still gripping Sophie's shoulders tightly. "What, Tooth?" He growled.

"Look!" She snapped.

But he didn't have to.

"…Jack…?" A weak voice drifted over to reach the boy's ears, and Jack stiffened at once. It might as well have been a scream for all the boy's reaction was. Sophie still looked stunned, but now Jack knew that it wasn't because she was hurt. She was just surprised. And now he knew why. Slowly, the boy turned around to look over his shoulder, over to the bed. To see movement. The voice sounded again, scraping and raspy. But he knew the voice either way. "…Jack…?" It groaned.

He was up on his feet in a flash. Jack let go of Sophie, rushing over to the bedside and crouching down so fast that his chin bounced against the mattress. "Jamie?" He whispered hoarsely, heart beating rapidly in his ears as his eyes stared at the boy frantically. His eyes were closed, and he was limp. For a moment, Jack wondered if he had just imagined the child's voice coming down to him. But then he twitched, head lolling to the side as he looked over numbly at Jack. His eyelids opened slowly, like it was paining him to do so.

And then Jack was looking at Jamie's brown eyes.

Not black and blotched with shadows.

It was him.

Jack's face broke out in a wide smile, feeling his eyes start to burn once again as he let out a sharp laugh. "Jamie!" He said, voice dripping with sorrowful relief. Sophie dashed up to him, standing beside the Guardian as she beamed over at her brother. The other Guardians did the same, gathering around the waking child as they smiled with surprise and relief. It was unexpected, Jack would be first to admit. But the absolute relief that thrilled through every inch of him distracting Jack from logic. He reached out, grabbing Jamie's hand and holding tightly. "Jamie, you're awake!" He said in a rush, shoulders shaking as he looked down at his friend.

Jamie didn't say anything, but the ghost of a smile twitched on the edges of his lips.

"Jamie! I saved you!" Sophie cheered happily, throwing herself forward and wrapping her arms tightly around him. Jamie winced at this, and Jack made a move to claw Sophie off. But the girl drew back before he could, green eyes quite proud. "I saved you!" She repeated, jumping up and down. "And now everything will be okay!"

"How did this happen?" Bunny asked, stunned as he looked down at Jack.

But the boy didn't answer. He didn't have one. He didn't need one. Instead, he leaned over, wrapping his arms tightly around Jamie's limp form, a breathless smile spreading across his face so far he thought it would burst. The boy was lax for a moment, laying in Jack's arms contentedly. But then he started to move, slowly, slowly. Like he was deep underwater. Or in syrup. But after a long battle, Jack felt his little arms wrap around his waist loosely, fragile and shaking ever so slightly in their movements. Jack felt his heart break all over again, and he flushed bright red as he felt hot trails of water slide down his cheeks. But he wasn't even bothered to try and do anything about it. "I'm so glad you're safe." He puffed, tightening his hold on the boy a little as he held him close.

Tooth's eyes softened at this, a gentle smile coming over her face at the sight of the pair.

Sophie got in on the hug, managing to hug both Jack and Jamie at the same time as she gave a little giggle. She bounced up and down excitedly, grinning from ear-to-ear as she snuggled into Jack's sweatshirt with a happy hum. "Everything's going to be okay now." She assured nobody in particular, surprising Jack somewhat as he glanced over at her. But he didn't have time to reply. Suddenly, Jamie's hold on him tightened oddly, Jack grunting slightly at the sudden hold. He drew back, unconsciously pushing Sophie backwards at the same time.

Jamie stared up at Jack, looking suddenly confused as he gripped the teen tightly around the stomach. His jaw was slack, as if he wanted to say something, but just couldn't find the words. Feeling a niggling sense of fear, Jack glanced back at the other Guardians. Immediately, Bunny stepped forward grimly, grabbing Sophie's shoulders and starting to steer the little girl back the way she had come; out of the room. But the blonde tried to wiggle out of his snatch, reaching out towards Jamie at once. "Stop!" She wailed sharply. "I wanna stay! I don't wanna go!"

"…Jack?" Jamie asked, sounding much more confused as he struggled for purchase on the boy's shirt. "What's…?" He gave a wince, as if a sharp pain suddenly sliced through his head. Jack shook his head numbly, confused beyond words as he tried to get Jamie's hands off of him. He was starting to choke him, he couldn't breathe right. Jamie flinched violently all of a sudden, Jack feeling a sharp wave of panic as he saw the shadows returning to the boy's eyes. "Jack!" He yelled suddenly, voice doing a turnabout as he screamed for help.

"Jamie!" Sophie yelled suddenly, thrashing to get out of Bunny's grip. "What's happening? I don't understand!"

Neither did Jack.

Jamie's grip was deathly by now, squeezing Jack as tight as a boa constrictor. Tooth realized with a shock that the Guardian was being choked, rushing forward and hands flying out, quick as a whip. She grabbed Jamie's hands, wincing with apology as she pried them off of Jack. When she succeeded in doing just that, Jack fell over backwards, gasping for air as he held his aching chest. Jamie let out another sharp scream as Jack and him fell away, the boy closing his eyes tightly as he fisted the blankets that were being rumpled by his newfound struggles. Tooth whirled around, eyes wide as she tried to see if she had hurt him. "JACK!" Jamie screamed, pain and agony alive in every syllable.

The Guardian rocketed up to his feet, whirling around and glaring over at North and Sandy. The two were frozen in place, immobile with shock as the stared dumbly at Jamie. Everything had fallen out so quickly, their heads were spinning. "What are you waiting for?" Jack screamed, snatching them back to reality as they turned to his voice. "Sandy!" Jack pleaded. "Do something!"

"What's wrong!" Sophie asked sharply, tears flowing down her cheeks thickly as she tried to get out of the Easter Bunny's grip. Bunny looked frazzled, trying to keep the girl pinned down as she attempted to rush back over to her older sibling. She clawed at the air, desperately reaching for her brother, who was screaming openly now. She sobbed loudly, confused and lost as she struggled to comprehend what this was. "I saved you!" She sobbed. "My Giraffe-"

"Get her out of here!" Jack shouted, whirling around to glare over at Bunny.

Sophie jerked backwards, startled by the amount of anger in her Guardian's eyes as fresh tears welled up in her own.

Sandy was crafting anything and everything he could as he leaned over Jamie. He frantically tried everything he could. A pony. A car. A flower. A four-leaf clover. A bottle of soda. A comfy chair. A snowflake. He even went as far to make a sink. Anything that wasn't mortifyingly scary, he created out of sand, blowing them onto Jamie's face in a sense of rushed danger. But none of the things seemed to be helping the hell that was going on inside the boy's head. He just kept screaming. Screaming for help. Screaming for his mom, Jack, Sophie, anybody. As long as they could help him.

"Do something!" Jack pleaded to nobody in particular, frantic tears lingering on the edge of his eyelids. He tried not to let them fall as best he could, but so far, he wasn't doing such a good job. His hands flew up to the sides of his head, digging his fingernails into the sides of his skull as he gritted his teeth together tightly. "Somebody fix this!" He begged in a sob. But his voice was lost in the Sophie and Jamie's screaming.

"Sophie!" Jamie wailed, chest going up and down unnaturally quickly. "Help!"

"I'm trying!" Sophie yelled, already halfway out the door. The blonde turned over to Jack, Bunnymund doing his best to pick her up into his arms. But she was thrashing around too much, slapping the Easter Bunny back and forth, making it near impossible. "Don't let him take me, Jack!" She sobbed, looking at her Guardian with the worst kind of expression that he's ever seen her make. Jack's hands fisted tightly at his sides, fingernails digging into his palms with sharp flinches of pain. "Please!" Sophie cried, shoulders going up and down as her and Bunny rounded the corner. "Help me! Don't let him take me! Don't let him!" Her cries faded quietly as the pair went farther and farther away, Jack closing his eyes tightly, looking battered, as if the children's screams were like knives in his chest.

How had things gone so wrong?

What was happening?

But he knew exactly what happened.

He looked up, pained as he looked the Jamie. North was busy holding the boy down, Sandy still crafted dreams as quick as he could, the yellow man looking very hassled and scared. Tooth lingered on the edge, eyes raw with terrible grief as she watched the scene. Jamie's voice was getting weaker and weaker as he screamed form whatever was happening to him. His eyes were fluttering closed, unable to stay open as unconsciousness trying to drag him down. "Jack!" He mumbled, voice riddled with hitches and sob as his head started to loll to the side limply. "Help me! Please!" The words punched him in the gut, and Jack's jaw locked backwards tightly with agony.

Jack ducked his head quickly, closing his eyes tightly and slowly shaking his head. "I can't, Jamie." He choked out.

Jamie's back arched with pain, the boy letting out a pitiful noise in the back of his throat at the response.

North stepped backwards, letting go of Jamie. He didn't need to, anymore. The boy was growing still.

The sight of it made Jack want to puke. He staggered backwards slowly, watching as Jamie finally gave up. He watched as the small boy went completely limp, like a rag doll. His eyes were shut, his chest still rising up and down rapidly as he muttered incoherently. It was like nothing ever happened. Like the hug that he and Jamie had shared was just a dream that he had waken up from. He backtracked rapidly, feeling his body start to grow numb. The full situation slammed into him like a rock, and he gasped sharply, feeling his breath almost whoosh out of him.

"…Jack….I'm-" North turned back to the Guardian, blue eyes saddened.

But Jack was gone.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

The wind rushed by him at a million miles an hour, stinging his skin and making his eyes water. But he ignored it roughly, pushing himself even faster as he streaked across the snow-covered wasteland that was entitled the Artic. Jack's fist was clenched tightly around his staff, the stick coursing with a threatening kind of power as he flew along. The memories of him, Sophie, and Jamie playing together, the hug they had all shared in the brief moment of peace, the scene that had just unfolded…it all meshed together to create a whirlwind of hurt and anger inside the boy. He couldn't stop, he was going too fast. He didn't want to stop. He just wanted to fly forever, fleeing whatever kind of web he had entangled himself into.

"JACK!" Suddenly, a shape shot up from underneath him, barring his way and forcing him to come to an unsteady halt. He screeched to an awkward stop, stumbling over himself as he tried to regain his balance in the wind. Tooth hovered in front of him, looking at him with her wide pink eyes. She puffed for air, having to fly twice as fast to be able to catch up to the runaway boy. When she finally got her voice back, she gasped out shortly, reaching out with concern. "Jack! Please come back!" She puffed. "Everybody is so worried! Sophie is asking where you are! North needs to talk to you! …How long have you been flying?" She leaned over, hands on her knees as she drank in large gasps of air. When she became a little less winded, she perked, studying Jack carefully. "Please come back." She asked softly. "Come back with me."

"I can't." Jack said, ducking his head and letting his bangs fall over his face. "Not right now."

"Please." Tooth repeated, more forcefully.

"Tooth!" Jack snapped, anger getting the best of him as he rose his voice to a yell. Tooth flinched backwards, wincing as met his angered stare. Jack's face relaxed as he realized he'd shouted, muttering a small apology as he backtracked little by little. A beat of silence passed before he shook his head once more. "I just can't." He said lowly. "Everything is so messed up…I don't know what to do anymore." He reached up, pressing a hand tightly against his forehead as he closed his eyes.

"Well going off on your own won't help." Tooth said, flying a little closer to him.

"Maybe it will." Jack whispered lamely, letting his arm swing back down to his side. "I'll…I'll go make it snow somewhere or something. I'll go check on places around the world. I just…cannot stay here. Not anymore. I have to leave."

He expected Tooth to refuse. To yell at him and scream for him to stay put. To stay back with the others. But she only dashed forward, hands reaching out and pulling Jack close in a tight hug. She buried her face against his hoodie, suddenly looking scared. Jack fumbled slightly, hands out at his sides as he tried to figure out what he should do. "Please come back safe." Tooth said, voice muffled as she raised her head up to look at him. "I don't know what I would do if something happened."

Jack blinked, surprised. "I'm just going to make it snow." He offered weakly in response. "I'm not going back in time to check out the Revolutionary War or something. I'll be fine." His voice was slightly bitter at the last note, and yet Tooth didn't seem to notice. Or if she did, she didn't show it.

She drew back slightly, inches away from Jack as she looked at him with an expression he couldn't fathom to describe. "Just promise me." She said stiffly. At Jack's look, she went back, correcting herself. "Promise me that you won't do anything stupid. Bunny has a point, Jack. We're the last hope of the Earth. We have to make sure to stay together." She paused, blinking rapidly as she offered: "Let me come with you."

Jack stiffened. "No." He said flatly.

Tooth blinked, wringing her hands together as she looked slightly hurt.

He sighed heavily. "I just want to be alone." He muttered.

"…I see." Tooth said, deflating visibly as she increased the distance between them.

Jack thought of comforting her, but he bit back the words quickly. "Thanks." He said numbly, swerving around her and starting back the way to Burgess. "I'll be back, then." He said tensely.

"W-Wait!" Tooth shouted, stopping him again in his tracks as he turned. His blue eyes flashed with impatience, and the Fay shrunk backwards as he trained his irritated look onto her. "…I just…." She drew herself up, looking at him fixedly. "I just wanted to tell you that I…."

"Spit it out, Tooth." Jack pleaded, trying not to sound mean.

Tooth winced. "I just wanted to say that… I think this will work out." Jack blinked at this, starting as he looked at her oddly. "I think that things will work out for the better. You just have to have patience. After all, good always wins over evil, right?" When Jack refused to reply, Tooth sighed, crumpling. "I hope you find what you're looking for when you go out there, Jack." She said brokenly, staring down at the ground hundreds of feet below the two.

"…" Jack didn't reply, turning around swiftly and blasting off before Tooth could try and stop him again. His eyes were narrowed against the blasts of winds, a fixated look on his face as he sped along for Burgess. He'd be there in less than five minutes, with the way that he was flying. Tooth's words rang in his head incessantly as he went, ringing back and forth like an annoying song that would get stuck in your head.

_Don't do anything stupid._

That was the millionth time that he's heard the directions aimed at him! Who was he? Some kind of immature kid that couldn't handle things? Did he have to be watched like a hawk to make sure that he didn't screw things up? Was he that incompetent in the other Guardians' eyes? Fresh pain tore through his heart at the thought, and it helped to fuel his flying as he sped up. Burgess loomed over the horizon as he came closer, eyes hardening as he caught sight of the city's glow.

He wasn't incompetent.

He wasn't some immature kid.

And whether or not the others liked it, he was going to end this.

Once and for all.

Pitch had deliberately lost control of Jamie. He'd deliberately made sure that Sophie and Jack were both beside the boy. He'd wanted Jamie to get out of his state, even if it was only for that small moment. His plan had worked. Sophie had seen the truth of the situation; she wouldn't be forgetting this ordeal anytime soon. He'd caused the girl to start to fracture in her belief that everything would be fine. And he had successfully shattered Jack into a million pieces.

But Jack was determined to gather them all back up.

_Watch your back, Pitch. _He thought with a deathly glare. He turned, angling himself down and making a neat landing. The woods of Burgess rose on either side of him, snow and frost hanging down from the branches and seeming eerie in the night light. He looked down the beaten path, eyes narrowing slowly as he growled underneath his breath.

_I'm coming._

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

A/N: WOOT. I HOPE THIS CHAPTER WAS OKAY. MY GOD. I WAS TYPING SO FAST, YOU GUYZ WOULDN'T BELIEVE. MY FINGERS HURT. OHGAWD.

Anyway. Here ya go ;)

I really do hope you like! Next chapter is what I've been looking forward to ever since I first thought of this tale! It's actually the part that CREATED the whole story. Like…I had the idea, and then I created the rest of the fanfiction around that central conflict.

So you'd all best review! So I can update sure fast! :D

((BTW: I'm doing a HTTYD story along with this one. Sometimes I slip and write Toothless instead of Tooth. So if I have that mistake in here ever -I usually catch them...- then please just tell me. And know that I will sincerely regret any typos XDD))


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: **And as long as I can feel you holding on…I wont fall…even if you said I was wrong!**

**I'm not perfect, but I keep trying. Cause that's what I said I would do from the start**

**I'm not alive if I'm lonely, so please, don't leave.**

**Was it something I said? Or just…my personality?**

Perfect - Hedley

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

The woods were silent and peaceful in the dead of night. The only kind of noise was the occasional winter wind that blew through the dark sky overhead, rustling the branches of the trees and causing drifts of snow to drop with a plop to the ground. The only other sound was Jack's footsteps against the snow, a light crunching sort of sound as he went along the worn path of the forest. His blue eyes were narrowed against the wind as he tried his best to walk in a straight line, gaze roving across the wooded area as he searched for a sign of Pitch. Last time, Jack had just stumbled across Pitch's Lair. But that was because the Shadow had chosen to show his dungeon to the Sprite. When he was all alone out here…what would he do if he couldn't manage to find the place again? He couldn't just go back without a solution to Jamie's problem!

The thought made the boy's eyes harden considerably, jaw locking backwards with determination as he let a deep scowl come over his face. No, he wasn't going to go back to North's Workshop at all. Not unless he had some kind of resolve in his hands. Going back empty-handed would be like admitting that there was nothing left to do but sit off to the side and watch things unfold. And that was the last thing that Jack was going to do. He was going to solve this problem. With or without help.

He'd been walking for some time, now. He hadn't realized how far he'd actually gone, until he found himself nearly tripping over a large obstruction on the ground. Staggering backwards and righting himself, Jack's eyes blinked with rapid surprise, the boy tilting his head to the side with confusion as he looked down. He'd almost tripped over a log. The large chunk of wood was seated neatly in front of him, as well as a few other pieces. They were gathered together in a circle, an empty gap in between them and creating an odd sort of space. Frowning, Jack leaned down into a crouch, reaching out and brushing the snow aside roughly.

As he dug down deeper, Jack realized that the snow was tinged black and gray with soot. Ash. That was it. Jack leaned back on his haunches, a saddened frown clouding over his face as he looked around once more. Now he remembered. This was the spot where he, Jamie, and Sophie had spent their last normal night together. The night before school came to a close for Christmas. They'd sat together for what seemed like hours, and Jack had told the 'scary' story that had frightened Sophie so much. As the memory passed through his mind, Jack ducked his head slowly, looking down at the ground with an empty sort of expression. Was that where the fear started? Was that the beginning of Pitch's reign? Could Sophie's fear had been enough to spark this whole event? Just a small jolt of fear for one so small.

But for someone like Pitch…that could have made all the difference.

Looking back on it now, Jack realized that the move was probably a dumb one. Even if he hadn't been aware of the threat from Pitch then, he should have had some foresight as to not tell a scary story to a child in kindergarten. He sighed heavily, lifting himself up to a hover before sitting down heavily on the log. He leaned over, resting his elbows on his knees and holding his head in his hands wearily. He let out a gusty sigh, shaking his head to and fro for a heartbeat before speaking into the empty air around him. "It's a mess." He huffed tiredly, eyes worn as he stared at the ash-ridden snow.

No reply came to him; not that he was expecting any. Instead, all he could do was watch as his breath curled into a little puff of warn air, rising away from him before disappearing altogether. The sight of it made a jitter of impatience run down his spine, and Jack shot up to his feet angrily, eyes narrowing once more with a renewed sense of fury. "Pitch!" He screamed, voice raking almost painfully through his windpipe as he yelled down the lane. His voice bounced back to him in a sharp echo, slapping him across the face as it rang shrilly back in his ears. Clenching his fists tightly, Jack yelled out again: "Come on! You coward! Come out and fight! Or are you too scared? You just like hiding behind your Nightmares, huh? Some scary Boogeyman!"

The wind picked up around him, feeling off his irritation and anger, blowing sharp gusts forward. Jack watched with a cold sense of fury as trees bent forward underneath the blows that the winds crafted. Snow was pushed off from their branches, swirling around the air around Jack and blowing his hair this way and that. "Pitch!" He screamed, throat hurting by now. He paused for a moment, having to figure out how to breathe properly as he tried to stop his shoulders from jerking up and down unevenly. Sucking in a sharp breath of air, Jack let out another shout. "I'm coming for you!" He warned in a yell. "Come out and face me! Let's solve this issue right now!"

Still, there was no reply. And yet, Jack could almost feel the way that the night seemed to grow darker and darker. Or the way that it suddenly grew a million degrees colder around him. Jack's eyes flashed at the thoughts, the boy pushing himself off the ground as he broke into a flying streak. He became a blur as he pushed himself as hard as he could, Jack's eyes filling up with water as he increased momentum. He flew as fast as he could, anger and sudden burst of adrenaline giving him speed as he shot forward. He didn't know where was going, or what he would find when he got there, but it had to be better than where he was coming from.

He was flying forward at least. He was _going _forward. Not standing on the sidelines doing nothing.

He was trying to solve things. Which is more than what anybody else was trying to do.

"Pitch!" He yelled, sounding like a broken record. His voice was snatched away by the winds, and he wondered whether or not he could even be heard. "Come out! Pitch!" Suddenly, he skidded to an abrupt halt, gasping sharply for air as he held his chest. He whirled around quickly, scanning the area frantically as he tried to find a source of movement. Frustration clawed at the back of his throat at the lack of any kind of presence around him, and Jack let out an angered scream as he pushed his arms tightly against his stomach. His head spun for a moment as he took in deep breaths to try and calm himself, and Jack found himself slowly starting to panic.

_Wow. Great move, man. Real mature. _He thought sarcastically as he heaved for air. _You can't even wander around in a forest without flipping out. No, that's fine. That's cool. I just didn't know you were such a wuss like this. I thought you were better than this. Obviously I was mistaken. You're really embarrassing me right now, man, do you know that? Gosh. Calm down. _As mean and stubborn as his thoughts were, they helped a considerable amount. Jack eventually straightened, heart still throbbing painfully against his ribcage as he gave a small wince.

A sudden scraping noise sounded behind him, making the boy stiffen at once, limbs locking together at once. Like nails on a chalkboard, the sound lashed down his eardrums, causing the boy to flinch and clamp his hands over his ears with a scowl. But then he steeled himself, whirling around and aiming his staff threateningly towards whatever was behind him. But as soon as he turned, the sound stopped immediately, the deafening silence replacing it once more as all sound came to an abrupt halt. There wasn't anything to signal what had made the ear-bleeding noise, and yet there was something there. Something that hadn't been there before.

The old wooden bed from before. The same bed that Jack had gone through to get into Pitch's lair last time. It loomed up ahead like a death knell, wooden boards rotting and splitting apart even now as Jack looked at it. It seemed eerie and frightening in its sudden appearance, almost as if it were foreshadowing some sort of danger or terrible fate. But Jack swallowed back the thoughts, as well as the fear that was trying to clog his throat. That was just what Pitch wanted. He was trying to get Jack to back away before he could do anything like he planned.

Well, that wasn't what was going to happen.

He'd come here for a reason, and no matter what happened, he would stick to it. Narrowing his eyes, Jack marched forward stiffly, looking down into the hole below the bed's baseboards. It was pitch black farther down, and Jack tried to remember how long the fall had been from before. He couldn't see the bottom, and he knew that the farther down he went, the harder and harder it would be to see what was in front of him. _You can still back out if you want to. _His inner voice chided inside of his head like a stern mother, warning him not to go too far if he couldn't handle it.

But then the image of Jamie's face came into the view. The way that he had almost smiled at Jack right before he went underneath the power of the nightmares again. He'd tried to give Jack a grin. That meant that no matter what kind of nightmares he was suffering from, he still believed in Jack. He believed in his Guardian. And Jack wasn't about to let him down. He'd done that enough already.

The snow picked up around him, coming down harder as the tension of the situation built. He closed his eyes, preparing himself mentally before making any kind of move. But when he did, he grabbed the edge of the bed tightly, jumping off the ground and hoisting himself into the hole. Casting one last look back at the snowy woods, Jack let go of the bed as he closed his eyes tightly.

And then he plummeted into the abyss below.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

Tooth burst through the doors that led into Jamie's room, eyes wild and stricken as she gasped for air. "Jack's left!" She yelped, voice shrill with panic and worry. North and Sandy perked where they had been hovering over the boy, looking more than shocked at Tooth's words. Bunny perked angrily where he stood, green eyes blazing with a mixture of irritation and surprise. In his arms, he cradled Sophie like a rag doll. Tooth guessed that Sandy had put her to a much-needed rest for the moment, as the little blonde slowly drooled onto Bunny's arm. But the rabbit didn't seem to pay any heed, cocking an eyebrow as he sized up Tooth's worn-out state.

"What do you mean he left?" He demanded, voice sparked with bristles.

Tooth shot an angry glare over at the Easter Bunny. "What do you mean 'what do you mean?'" She demanded, waving her arms around wildly for emphasis. "Jack Frost _left_! H-He said he was just going out to Burgess, but I _know _that's not all he's doing! He was so upset and angry at himself and us for not doing anything!" She started to pace rapidly, not even looking at the others as she rushed through her explanation. "I just know that he's going to try something! We have to get out there and stop him! He's not in his right mind right now! H-He couldn't do something that he would…that we would all regret!" She drew a rapid hand through her feathers, getting more and more worked-up as she prattled on. "We have to get a search party out- no! We have to go out and find him! No search party! That would mean there would be a chance that we couldn't find him! We _have _to-"

"Tooth! Calm yourself!" North demanded, loud voice quieting the Fay almost at once. She shrank backwards, deflating visibly as she frowned sadly at being rebuked. But she grew into a tense silent, wincing slightly as she looked down at the ground. "You say Jack has left." North repeated, the Tooth Fairy giving a glum little nod. North exchanged looks with Sandy and Bunny, both of who gave small shrugs in reply. Blue eyes narrowed with concentration, North paused a moment, not speaking. He looked back over at Jamie, and then at Sophie. Then he gave a tense nod. "Then we must find him." He said sternly.

"What?" Bunnymund blustered, eyes growing large as he involuntarily tightened his hold on Sophie. The blonde mumbled wearily in his hold, but her only other response was to bury her head deeper into the Guardian's chest. Bunny winced at this, but kept pressing in his ordeal, keeping his voice slightly lower this time. "Look, North. These kids need us right now. If Frostbite wants to go off and mope somewhere, we might as well let the bugger. It's not like he's in any kind of danger! He's just bein' irritating and…well…Jack." Tooth fumed silently at this, cheeks flaming with a bright red shade as her pink eyes bored into the rabbit. But North seemed a little off at this new statement, looking suddenly confused as he turned back to look at Jamie and Sophie.

"…Bunny is right." He finally conceded.

"What!?" Tooth shrieked, Sandy's eyes widening accusingly at the bigger man. "You can't possibly be ready to just…let Jack stay out there all alone!" She said, jabbing an angry finger into the man's chest as she shot herself forward. North leaned back slightly, wincing as Tooth pressed her forehead against his. Her glare burned holes into the man's own startled look, and she continued with an angered scowl: "Jack went out there not in his right mind, North. He could be doing anything! We _have _to go out and help him! If we don't, how can we stand to call him our friend? You know what, I don't care! You guys can stay here!" She drew back angrily, both cheeks puffed out with defiance. "I'll go find him myself!"

Right as the fairy was about to swing herself around and storm out the door, North reached forward and grabbed her wrist tightly. "Tooth!" He shouted, snapping the Fay out of her rage as she went to attention. "I did not say we were going to leave Jack." He said patiently, willing the girl to understand. "We need to go after him, you are true when you say this." Tooth smiled a little at this, feeling a wave of relief crash into her at the man's words. "But we cannot leave kids alone. That would be just what Pitch wanted us to do."

"…I guess." Tooth murmured, drawing her hand back to herself with a small frown. In her haste to go after Jack with the aid of others, she had forgotten about leaving the children alone. They were both asleep now, without any kind of aid for them, what could happen? The thought sent Tooth's stomach aflutter, and she nervously wrung her hands together tightly. "So what do we do? Leave Sandy here to watch over them?" She asked tensely. The longer they stood here, the farther that Jack got. Even if she knew that Jack had said he was just going to Burgess, something felt wrong.

North glanced back over to Sandy, who gave a small shrug in reply. The yellow man looked at a loss of what to do, like most of them seemed. Bunny groaned, sighing under his breath before turning and setting Sophie down on the bed beside her brother. He shifted the sheets so that she wouldn't get cold before turning to Tooth fixedly. "Jack goes off like an idiot, and we all worry everyone else by rushing after him. Where's the fire?" That was rhetorical question, the rabbit going on before Tooth could reply. "So Sandy will stay here and make sure the kids are safe. Tooth, you can-"

"No." North said roughly, cutting off Bunny before he could finish. "Sandy will come with us." He said, surprising both the Easter Bunny as they turned to look at him. "We do not know what will be waiting for us, if anything. But Sandy is best match for Pitch if we run into him. Usually it is Jack that we rely on, but if Tooth is right, and something has happened…we must be prepared."

"Tooth is making a big deal about nothing, Mate." Bunny said, exasperated. "Sandy needs to stay here to make sure the kids are dreaming right. What do I do if they start screaming?"

"We will be back before anything can happen." North assured the rabbit, watching as the Guardian's ears wilted. "Sorry old friend." North said, sounding a little sincere at this. Tooth couldn't help but throw Bunny a superior look as she flitted beside North's side. "We will go after Jack and be back here before the sun is to rise." He said, pointing out the nearest window as if he needed a visual. Bunny's right ear twitched angrily as he turned to look out the pane of glass, at the night air on the other side of it. He seemed unimpressed by the promise, but refused to object any more. Instead, he glared over in the trio's direction as they slowly turned towards one another.

"Alright then." North said heartily. "To the sleigh, then, hmm?"

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

The place was dark and grim. As Jack's footsteps echoed back to him eerily, he narrowed his eyes cautiously, being careful as to where he walked. Pitch's lair loomed up around him threateningly, and while he didn't know exactly how far he was from the surface, he could feel the heavy tension settling around his shoulders that was usually accompanied with being so far underground. It made the air a million degrees colder, and as Jack walked along slowly, he could almost figure that the place was freezing enough without him. But he knew much more than he was letting on. The cold he brought with him told promises of snow and days spent playing. It was cold and warm at the same time. This cold was entirely different. It was menacing in its temperature, promising you a gruesome fate as it whispered terrible things into your ears. Jack sighed underneath his breath, forcing the thoughts away as he shook his head to clear it.

Slowly, he came to a stop, blue eyes shaded over as he took in the area around him. Heavy steel-barred cages hung from the ceiling, rattling and creaking sharply in the silence of the place. Forcing himself to look away from the frightening sight overhead, Jack paced closer to the large globe that sat in the middle of the spacious cave, a frown clouding over his face as he took in the sight in front of him. He hadn't looked at the globe in some time; he never found time to do so. What with juggling Sophie's innocence on one hand, and Jamie's state with the other, while also trying to make it snow as best he could at the same time, he couldn't keep up with things most of the time. He was amazed that he was able to do anything, what with all the stuff on his plate.

But now, he saw what he had been missing from before. The sight caused a wave of bitterness to wash over him, and he let out a small sigh. So many lights were out by now. Whether it was from kids who's teeth did not get picked up, or from crestfallen children who's jolly Christmas Spirit was now dashed by the recent events, Jack did not know. The only thing he did know was that more than half were gone, put out by nightmares and darkness. Reaching out with a slightly shaky hand, Jack put his hand against the cool metal of the contraption, ducking his head and closing his eyes. He wished that he could change this somehow. He wished that he knew a way to save everything other than going with his gut. He needed a surefire solution to all of this. But he just couldn't think of it.

"It seems as though I've caught you moping on the job." A cold voice commented behind Jack, the boy stiffening at once as a surprised rush of heat spread through him. Letting go of the Globe, Jack whirled around quickly, staff already pointing forward dangerously as his blue eyes narrowed with pure hatred. Pith stood behind him, an evil grin plastered across his bony face he looked at Jack. His eyes held a dark sort of amusement, and he let out a dark chuckle at Jack's attempt to defend himself. "Oh, come now, Jack." He grinned wolfishly. "You can't possibly think that you stand a chance against somebody as powerful as me?" His eyes glinted as he spoke though, clenching his fist tightly as he spoke.

It was obvious he was ready for a fight anyway.

Jack locked his jaw backwards angrily. "You don't look all that powerful to me." He said tensely.

But Pitch just continued to grin menacingly. "Oh, but Jack." He sighed softly. "You know more than you let on. You know that I'm much more powerful than I was the last time. After all, you saw the Globe with your own eyes, did you not?" Jack bristled at this, flaring up as he turned and looked back at the large sphere silently. He refused to reply, but Pitch seemed to get the idea anyway. "It was quite easy, actually." He said, egging the boy on. "It's so easy to break the wills of those lower than myself. It's almost exactly like breaking an egg. The children's minds are so frail and weak, they're quite easy to manipulate." His eyes flashed as he glanced over at Jack. "Especially your little Jamie's." He cooed.

Immediately, Jack blazed with white-hot anger. "Shut up!" He screamed, voice echoing and bouncing across the walls of the Lair. Pitch's smile only grew bigger at the yell, finding amusement in the boy's despair. Eyes hardening, Jack took a heavy step forward. "You'd better let Jamie go!" He threatened. "I came here to put a stop to everything that's happening! And if you wont back down, then I'll _make _you back down!"

But Pitch only laughed at the notion. "You'd best think before you leap, Jack." He said in an almost soothing voice. But instead of being comforted by the new tone, Jack's anger was only fueled. "After all, isn't that what all the other Guardians are saying? That you're worthless, and should stay cooped up inside of a puny Workshop?" He cocked an eyebrow as Jack stiffened visibly. "Looks as though I struck a nerve with that one. But I'm only giving you a fair warning, my dear boy. After all, I still need a strong companion. And I would never stoop so low as to shun your amazing talents." His eyes grew oddly hungry as he took in Jack's form, and the boy gritted his teeth together tightly. "Maybe you could reconsider-"

"Shut up!" He yelled harshly, swinging his staff forward and shooting a large barricade of ice forward into Pitch. The shadow gasped sharply at the surprise attack, only just managing to swerve around the wall and escape any kind of injury. His yellow eyes blazed with anger as he looked back over at Jack, and the Winter Spirit shot a glare over in his direction. "I'm no kind of companion of your's." He snarled thickly, venom layered on his tone. "Now, I'll say it one more time." He growled, taking a few paces forward and striding towards the man. "Let Jamie and the other children go. Or I'll make you." He added darkly.

But Pitch only laughed once more, louder this time. "One last chance to back away, Jack. One last chance to lower your staff and come to my side. Or you'll sincerely regret it." He reached out his arm to the side, a sudden swirling of dark sand taking a curved shape in his hand. A wind picked up around the two, and Jack had to dig his heels into the ground to keep from being swept away. Jerking forward, his blue eyes widened considerably, watching with horrified awe as the sand slowly started to gleam evilly. The sand melted away to reveal a wickedly-long scythe, the black metal glinting in the dim light of the cavern. Pith gave a short laugh at Jack's alarmed look, showing his teeth he did so. "Last chance to back away from this, Jack." He warned for the final time. "You're much too naïve to be able to best somebody such as me."

"Sounds like you're a little full of yourself." Jack spat, hiding his new thrill of fear with anger as best he could. He raised his staff for another ice attack once more, scowling as he took in Pitch's overly-enlarged weapon. "I told you I'm not leaving until you let Jamie and the other kids go. Until then, I'm not going to leave."

Pitch gave a dark chuckle. "Then come try and make me." He said lowly.

With an angered cry, Jack flew forward, lashing out with his staff and watching with an approved smirk as a large array of icicles shot themselves right at Pitch, smashing against the man with a sharp snapping noise. Pitch's yellow eyes narrowed angrily at this, stopping the other ice-spears with a wall of darkness before they could make any more contact. Jack scowled at this, but didn't let up as he swung forward for the umpteenth time. Slashing through the air with his staff, Jack shot wave after wave of snow and ice at his opponent, becoming winded as he forced himself to go faster.

Pitch swerved and ducked away from the blasts, maneuvering through the shots as he made for Jack. He angled his scythe this way and that, attempting to cause the ice to rebound back to the boy. He was trying to use his own powers against him. But Jack was faster, pushing himself into the air to avoid being stabbed through. Gritting his teeth together with concentration, Jack started to backtrack quickly as Pitch continued to advance. Changing from offensive to defensive in a blink of an eye, Jack stopped in his attacks, paying all his attention to the Shadow man as he came closer and closer.

Watching the point of the scythe with care, Jack tried to sense whenever it would come down by its movements. But it jerked this way and that, and the Winter Spirit was confused as to where and when it would come down him. Pitch seemed to guess his thoughts, quickening his pace as he rushed Jack. Immediately, the child sped up at once, increasing the distance between them frantically as he breezed backwards. Pitch laughed at the movement, starting to swing down blows towards Jack as the Spirit did his best to avoid them. "It's useless, Jack!" He yelled in between his rapid blows. The blue-eyed Guardian bit his tongue at this, but didn't reply. He couldn't, really; he was spending all his concentration on ducking. "Just give up before you make me do something I'll regret!"

Jack's eyes broke away from the point of the blade, lighting up at they landed on Pitch's legs. An idea zipped behind their blue surface, and he steeled himself for a moment. Looking back at the scythe, Jack dodged a few more strokes, heart beating loudly in his ears as he tried to time his movements with the swings. He tried to count through the swings, finding the tempo with both his arms and his flying. 1...2...3...4...5.… He counted to ten, bracing himself before tensing his arms and pushing himself forward. He lunged down against the wood, hooking the scythe away from Pitch with a great feat of strength that he managed to scrape up. Pitch let out a shocked noise, watching as his black weapon skidded away from him across the floor.

Taking the moment of bemusement to his advantage, Jack whirled around, taking a blind shot downwards and striking his target perfectly. With years of experience at the hand of his staff, Jack watched with triumph as a large block of ice formed around Pitch's feet, locking them to the ground firmly. The man's face grew rather surprised at this, looking down at his legs with alarm. Jack turned swiftly, going much slower now as he rubbed in his new victory. Swooping down low to the ground, the boy locked his hands tightly around the scythe, heaving it upright and tilting it this way and that, letting the light reflect on its blade mockingly.

Then he turned back around to face Pitch, expression a little more than smug. "Looks like you've got yourself in a pretty big pickle, there." He commented, narrowing his eyes as he hefted the heavy scythe forward, pointing it forward at Pitch straight-forwardly. "Now it's _my _turn to warn _you_." He snapped, arms aching already from holding up the weapon. It weighed a million tons! "Let the kids free. Otherwise I'll ram you right through with this!"

But while Jack thought it would strike some of his own fear through Pitch, the man basically slapped Jack back in the face as he started to laugh. His shoulders lurched up and down, and he doubled forward, hands on his knees as he snickered deep in his throat. Unnerved, Jack lowered the weapon slowly, forehead creased as he tried to wrap his mind around what had happened to change so quickly. But then Pitch managed to choke back his snorts, straightening himself with what looked to be great difficulty. He shook his head back and forth aimlessly, shoulders still shaking as he threw a smug grin over at the smaller boy. "You wouldn't have the guts." He said mockingly.

Jack's eyes hardened, and he tensed up quickly, bristling at the words. "You don't know that!" He yelled.

"Of course I do, Jack." Pitch said at once, words running into Jack's own as he spoke up. "I know much more about you than you think I do." At Jack's confused look, Pitch's grin only widened. "I know things about you that even you don't know. Things that I could prevent, if you would only just open your eyes to the inevitable." His eyes glinted at this, and Jack's breath caught in his throat for a moment, the boy unable to breathe as the scenes that Pitch had shown him before flashing behind his eyes. They still went as mysteries to him…but Pitch made it seem like they were all some kind of prophecy together.

"…I don't care." Jack said simply, tightening his hold on the scythe handle as he pointed it forward once again, more forcefully this time. "I don't believe you. Now: I'm going to count to ten." His glare intensified as he saw Pitch trying to tug his legs out from the ice, trying to escape. "I'm going to give you ten seconds. And if you don't release your hold on the world, I swear to _anything at all _that I will _kill _you." The words sounded odd on his tongue; he was always so buoyant and happy usually. But the threat came frightening easy from him; he didn't know whether or not to be alarmed by the fact.

Pitch didn't even make a move to stop him.

"One…two…three…four…five…" Jack's fingers tensed nervously as Pitch didn't move. _Can I kill him? _His inner conscience asked anxiously. _I mean- this is cold blooded murder! This is a serious kind of deal! Maybe I should think this over more…you know? _But once again, his irrational heart swooped in, stomping the thoughts into the ground mercilessly as it screamed inwardly: _Of course I can kill him! I should kill him a million times over for what he's done to Sophie and Jamie! He deserves to die! Just kill him already! Kill him! KILL HIM! _"Six…seven…eight…" His voice got sharper and more spaced out as he reached ten, giving Pitch fair warning before he did anything more. He waited for the man to stop him. But he just smiled expectantly, not replying in any way, shape, or form.

"Nine." Jack said shortly, taking a slow step forward.

Still nothing.

The boy's eyes darkened, and he swung back the scythe, preparing himself. "TEN!" He yelled, already throwing his arms forward again as he aimed for Pitch's head. But the man was more than ready for him. He reached out, waving his hand sharply through the air. As soon as he did so, the scythe's handle started to get blazing hot, the boy gasping as he felt his grip slipping. But instead of the scythe dropping from his hands, it started to wrap around his arms, changing back into sand and rushing across his limbs like water.

Jack gasped sharply, stiffening with surprise as he staggered backwards. He looked down at his body with alarm, the suddenly-thick substance making deadly progress as it swamped through his stomach and up his neck. It was burning hot, and it felt like sticky slime as it spread across him. Shakily, Jack looked up at Pitch with wide eyes, concentration failing in his keeping the block of ice melted around Pitch's feet. The man calmly stepped forward, observing Jack like he was doing something weird or stupid. The black matter had stopped at the boy's neck, but it spread down to his legs, causing the boy to lose his balance and fall backwards.

Slamming the back of his head against the floor, Jack became dazed for a moment, blanching as his head spun and throbbed. The sand was burning his skin, and by the time that Jack finally managed to clear his mind, Pitch was leaning calmly over him, one eyebrow raised. "Don't you see, Jack?" He asked softly, looking down at him almost sadly at Jack as the boy tried to move. But his body wouldn't listen to him, feeling a million pounds heavier than normal as he stayed perfectly still. His jaw was locked backwards, but his eyes were alive with pain as he glared up at Pitch. "I tried to warn you, but you just wouldn't listen."

Jack fidgeted underneath his bonds, trying to break free of his sandy prison.

Pitch clucked his tongue carefully, shaking his head in shame as he turned, reaching out and taking Jack's staff from him easily. The boy's grip had been loose on it from the efforts of getting out of this new hold, the boy stiffening as once as Pitch stood, holding the staff like it was a delicate instrument. His yellow eyes observed the thing critically, roving up and down the wooden spiral as he thought for a moment. "L-Let go of that!" Jack screamed, voice a little higher than normal. Forcing his heavy body into action, Jack thrashed against the bonds desperately. Pitch perked at this, looking from the staff, to Jack, as if making comparisons.

"What…this?" He asked innocently, waving the staff back and forth.

"Yes, that!" Jack yelled sharply, trying to kick out at the man now. But to no avail. "Give me that back, you…you sick, twisted-"

"I'm afraid flattery will get you nowhere, Jack." Pitch sighed, leaning down and crouching beside the boy. Jack lashed out, finally able to move as he landed a punch square on the man's jaw. Pitch let out a gruff huff of pain at the movement, turning back to Jack and looking down at him crossly. The punch had earned the Nightmare a slightly purpled cheek, and Jack smirked at the sight of it. Before Pitch could do anything in response, Jack spat disdainfully in the man's face, eyes full of venom as he glowered up at him. This seemed to strike a nerve with Pitch.

Reaching up slowly, the man dramatically wiped his face, looking enraged as he let his hand drop. "We can't have that." He said coldly. And almost at once, new bonds erupted out of the ground around Jack. Black ropes wound tightly around his arms and legs, holding him down and ensuring no movement. The sand that had been digging into his stomach shot forward suddenly, engulfing his head and stopping right underneath his nose. It clamped tightly over his mouth, making breathing nearly impossible as he choked under the new gag.

"I wanted to spare you the pain." Pitch said, leaning closer now that Jack was immobile. The boy glared at him in response, unable to reply by now. "But now I suppose that I'll have to do it the painful way. You see, Jack," He said. "I always knew that you would be the one to crack first. I knew that you would come here, all alone and unprotected. It was _all _apart of my plan from the beginning. I meant for you to defeat me back at that ridiculous town, because I needed you here. I needed you confused, and unable to think straight out of grief for poor little Jamie." His voice turned mocking at this, and Jack bristled at once, gripping his bonds tightly with anger. Pitch recognized this, grinning wolfishly. "After all, the other Guardians would have enough sense to know not to come rushing off to who-knows-where. But you always were the stupid one, Frost." His eyes suddenly grew more dangerous. "And the most powerful."

Jack froze at this, eyes widening considerably the change in tone.

Pitch slowly pushed himself up, standing over Jack and observing him coldly for a few heartbeats of silence. "I've told you that I've gotten stronger, haven't I?" He asked casually, going back to looking at Jack's staff. Jack watched anxiously by now, hands aching by now from the restraints. "Well, I've decided that it just isn't enough." Pitch said, turning and looking down at Jack hungrily once more. "I want more power, Jack. And I can't get that alone. But, of course, I've told you this already. I'm starting to feel like a broken record." When Jack didn't respond to the joke, Pitch went on quickly. "Since you've rejected the offer I've made you a million times, I've decided that I'm going to take it anyway."

Jack looked confused at this.

Pitch turned towards the boy, leaning forward and placing the staff squarely on top of Jack's covered chest. "Have you ever wondered why you were given these powers, Jack?" He asked softly, head tilting to one side. Jack tensed visibly, starting to struggle again. But it only made Pitch more amused. "Well, you wont have to worry about that anymore." He assured him, Jack's breathing becoming quick and fast as he started to hyperventilate. Pitch tightened his hold on the staff, holding it tightly. "I've got a few tricks up my sleeve, Jack. And they don't end here. I'm just sparing you the trouble of having to deal with things later. This way, you can be out of the picture. You wont have to worry about anything anytime soon. So that's a bonus, isn't it?"

Jack didn't reply, trying to get out of his hold frantically.

Pitch smiled almost sweetly. "…Sweet dreams…Jack." He whispered.

He brought up his arms, building up strength as he looked down at Jack's heart. The target.

Jack tensed, body going into spasms as he tried to break free before Pitch could do anything.

But it was too late.

Pitch slammed the staff down as hard as he could, Jack's eyes closing tightly as white-hot pain exploded behind his eyelids.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

"C'mon!" Tooth yelled sharply, weaving and bobbing through the trees of the forest. Her pink eyes were narrowed tightly, concentrating deeply as she looked around wildly, trying to see whether or not Jack had been here. North and Sandy rushed behind her, managing to keep up just barely. They panted and gasped for air, looking alarmed as they raced after her. But Tooth didn't slow down, catching sight of something up ahead. "There!" She yelled suddenly, increasing her pace suddenly as she rocketed forward, leaving the others in the dust. She sped ahead as fast as she could, just managing to avoid trees as she spun and dodged. They hadn't met any trouble on the way over here, and that was bugging the fairy. Nothing ever worked out perfectly like this. Something had to be wrong.

Her thoughts were confirmed as she approached a large forest clearing, slowing down gradually until she was at a full standstill. Her eyes widened with a small hint of fear as her wings drooped, looking in shock at what was in front of her. Footsteps echoed up behind her, North and Sandy finally catching up as they skidded to a stop on either side of the fairy. But she was too engrossed with what was in front of her. The wooden bed that had signaled Pitch's Liar…laying right in front of them like an invitation to come inside. And seeing it here…the feeling that she had…

"He's already here." She rasped, hands wringing together anxiously. As North and Sandy turned to give her confused looks, she repeated the words more firmly. "Jack is already here. I can tell. I can _feel _it." She took in a sharp gasp. "Something is wrong. I know it is."

"Tooth, you need to calm down." North offered, reaching out to try and help pop up the Fay. "You are becoming too paranoid. Being calm will help chase away the fear." He paused for a moment, seeing that Tooth was still jarred. "Maybe Jack saw sense." He tried weakly. "Came back to Workshop after we had left. Maybe we all worry for nothing, hmm?" Sandy shot a rather doubtful look over at the burly man, and Tooth just shrunk away, shaking her head back and forth.

"No." She said firmly, turning and straightening considerably at the sight of the broken bed. "We have to go in there. We have to find Jack. He's there, I know he is." Before either of the men could stop her, Tooth dashed forward, snapping her wings down to her sides and falling forward. She ducked through the large hole in the furniture, streaking down the tunnel below and shooting for the bottom without a second thought. Behind her, a yellow glow shone, following her the way down. Sandy had jumped in after her.

She fell for what seemed like forever. All the way down, she let her incessant worrying get the better of her. _Is he okay? Please be okay. I know you'll be okay. You're strong, I know you are. And I'm so sorry that I sent you the wrong message. Nobody thinks that you're incapable. We're just all so worried for you. We care about you. Even Bunny. We just want you to be safe. Safe and sound with us. Please. Please be safe._ All the things that she should have said before was going through her mind now, much too late, and much too weak by now.

Jack had been furious when he left. She could see it in the way he looked at her.

She closed her eyes with a painful flinch. _I'm so sorry. Please forgive me._

She snapped her eyes open not a moment too soon, the Fay catching herself in a hover right before she could smack into the ground. She side-stepped immediately, Sandy and North landing on the ground right after her. For a moment, the trio was silent as they looked around carefully, trying to take in what was around them in the darkness. "Where do we go from here?" She asked softly, voice sounding smaller than it did normally. She spun in a small circle, forehead creasing slightly. "We should go that way." She said, catching the others' attention as she pointed forward. A small glow was coming from the other end of the space, the Tooth Fairy finding comfort in the shine. "It looks like it'd be easier to see over there."

"Good idea." North praised, starting forward at the Fairy's side.

Sandy did the same, the three falling into a silence as they made for the light at the other end. Tooth's eyes were shaded and troubled as she looked on, and she bit her lower lip tightly, a nervous habit. "I hope he's safe." She murmured, being the first to do so. Sandy looked over at her sadly, giving a mute nod in reply. Tooth hesitated, but branched out slowly: "He was so angry that we wouldn't let him fix things. He's never felt so helpless before. If…when…we find him, make sure not to be too hard on him." She instructed, throwing firm looks at the two. "He's got a lot to deal with, and I'm sure that he'll get an earful from Bunny. We just…need to show him that he appreciate him. That's all that matters. As long as he knows we're there for him…he thinks that we think he's good for nothing."

"Is not true!" North thundered, sounding almost offended.

"But still." Tooth sighed sadly. "We haven't really been sending him the greatest messages, have we?"

The two became suddenly quiet at this, not offering replies.

Tooth nodded. "And we also-"

"What do we have here?" A sudden voice echoed over them, laughter and amusement ringing inside the tone as it bounced across the walls around them. The trio screeched to a halt, whirling around with confused expressions as they tried to find who was talking. Sandy reached out, shimmering golden whips unfolding from his hands and snapping the air loudly. North withdrew his twin swords, the metal casting a faint gleam in the room. But Tooth only fisted her hands at her sides, looking up expectantly.

"Pitch?" She shouted angrily.

"Oh look, the dimwit caught on." Pitch's voice cooed, Tooth's feathers brushing up angrily at the comment. The man chuckled darkly. "Are you looking for something that you've been missing?" He asked lightly, sounding amused. "After all, you all are such a frazzled lot, I wouldn't be surprised if you were so careless. I might have what you're looking for." Tooth stiffened at this, eyes widening as she looked down at the ground. "…But you'll have to come find me." He said in a hushed tone. None of the Guardians moved, turning around and looking at one another in alarm. "Oh, I'd hurry if I were you." Pitch drawled suddenly. "I am getting quite bored over here."

Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream echoed across the cavern walls, the voice grimly unmistakable. Tooth locked up at once, pure fear flooding into her pink eyes as she gasped sharply. North jerked forward, eyes turning into two burning flames of anger, knuckles cracking as he gripped his swords tightly in each hand. Sandy looked a little bit more than concerned, eyes widening as he looked towards where the scream had come from. It was coming from where the glow was. Sandy looked over at Tooth quickly, the Fairy looked anguished as she returned the stare. The scream continued, long and agonizing in its sound as it went on. It wouldn't stop. _He _wouldn't stop. He _couldn't _stop.

Tooth let out a dry sob, snapping into motion before any of the others. She grabbed Sandy's hand and North's arm, wings shooting into action as she flew down the hall. The scream got louder and louder as they got closer to the light, and Tooth's stomach did full flips as she suddenly felt sick. North charged after them, looking fit to kill as he streaked alongside the other Guardians, swords sharpened for blood-lust. The glow got brighter and brighter as they neared it, and suddenly, the screaming stopped altogether. It was quiet.

Tooth tripped over herself with surprise at the surprising silence. She stopped with a horrified look, the others drawing ahead of her, not even pausing to wait for her to catch up before they rushed inside the room. They were too pent-up with worry to try and wait for her to get back up to their speed. Tooth listened with her mouth halfway open, not wanting to listen and yet drinking in the sounds at the same time. Her body was stiff with shock, and she felt like she couldn't move more than a few inches. The silence pressed on her eardrums and shoulders, threatening to capsize her and force her down to the ground. But then there was a new noise.

A thud. Something hitting the ground.

Going forward slowly, Tooth moved like a baby Fairy just learning how to fly, hesitantly following in North and Sandy's footsteps. She emerged into the new room, Pitch in the middle of talking already. "…late." He was saying, sounding…different…somehow. Tooth leaned over to the side, eyes still hollow with fear and worry as she leaned around the other Guardians and looking at them anxiously. North looked shocked beyond words, mouth opened wide and blue eyes as huge as Manny himself. Sandy had one hand clamped over his mouth, the man looking like he had just stumbled backwards with surprise. Pitch only laughed at their words. "I'm more powerful than ever now. Give up, little Guardians. Because I'm already winning by a landslide."

Tooth turned, blinking slowly as she turned to Pitch. The man just seemed to realize her presence, eyes changing so that they bored into her own. As she locked gazes, she shivered, feeling herself grow ten times colder as she grabbed her chest with alarm. Pitch only snickered. "Hello there, Tooth." He greeted with amusement. "You're looking remarkably believed in." The Fairy stepped backwards, fisting and unfisting her hands self-consciously as she looked down at her dull-looking feathers. Just another reminder that she was letting the kids down. "But I suppose it'll get a lot worse, now, hmm?" She jerked forward at this, looking back up to him with newfound alarm.

"…Jack." She finally managed, teeth chattering by now. "Where's Jack?"

"Don't you see him?" Pitch laughed, nearly doubling over on himself at Tooth's puzzled look. He leaned down swiftly, hand lashing out to clamp down hard on something laying in front of him. Some_one_, Tooth realized. She hadn't even noticed anybody in front of the man, she had been too fixed on trying to find out what was going on. But as the man hoisted the body up into the air, Tooth realized with horror that things had indeed changed.

"…That's not Jack." She snapped, taking a few steps forward angrily.

"Oh no?" He chuckled.

North spoke up, spitting mad as he pointed at Pitch accusingly. "You have Jack's staff!" He yelled, eyes going down to rest on the black stick that the man clutched in his hand. It looked different; it was much more crooked, and it looked like it was much older. Chips of it were missing, and the bottom looked broken. But it was defiantly Jack's staff, only…much darker-looking. More gruesome. And looking from the staff in Pitch's right hand, to the body in Pitch's other, Tooth made the terrible connection.

"No." She rasped slowly.

"Ah, but yes." Pitch sneered, a wicked grin spreading over his face. "The fight is over, puny Guardians. For now I am the most powerful being on the planet. And no amount of _love_, _happiness, _or even _caring _will change that." He raised the staff forward, watching the shocked looks on the Guardian's faces as he created a single, pitch black snowflake.

"It's the beginning of a new era." He cooed. "The beginning…of the end."

Tooth looked with shock at the staff. No…it didn't work like that! How could Pitch be so powerful as to reverse something that had been created by the Man on the Moon himself? It was unheard of! It was terrible! It was…horrible. The Fairy looked at the body in Pitch's embrace, the wicked man's fingers digging into the skin as he held it up for display. A display of his power. Of what was to come. Because it wasn't Jack in Pitch's clutches. Not exactly. Not really. But it was.

Hanging from Pitch's hands limply, was a brown-haired boy. He displayed Jack's outfit; the same blue hoodie and pants that the Guardian always wore. Except it was drenched with dark, scarlet blood. This wasn't Jack at all. Not Jack Frost. It was something much worse. Tooth's breath caught in her throat as she looked at the limp form, eyes burning at once.

_I'm so sorry._

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

A/N: Jack: YOLOOOOOOOOOOOO!

I hope you all liked this chapter!

If you have questions, you can express them. Just…be civil about it. You're not supposed to know exactly what happened yet. So just…calm down XDD

I hope you all review! And I hope you all are excited for this story to kick into gear!

Because this is just one of many twists I have in store for this story ;)


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: The beginning of this chapter shows why this is rated T. ((among other reasons, of course))

If you don't like, you can just skip over it :3

Thanks for all the reviews! They made me soooo happy, and I want you to know that I appreciate hearing from every one of you! I hope to see the review count go up even farther, and I hope you do too~! ^^

Pay attention to the ending of this chapter~

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

It was like nothing Jack ever experienced. And it was like nothing he would ever want to experience again. He wasn't aware of anything else other than the blinding, forceful pain that ravaged every single inch of him. His mind was a foggy cloud of blankness, unable to comprehend anything besides the fact that he was being tortured. He was being killed. Either of the two were equal and yet opposite in their own ways. He didn't know whether or not he was dying; he didn't know whether Pitch was just playing with him, or showing him how he could keep some of his deathly promises that he made against the Sprite. He didn't know anything for sure in his agonized haze that he was drowning in, suffocating in. He wasn't even sure how long it had been since Pitch first stabbed the boy with his own weapon, the blunt end of the staff ripping open his chest little by little. Seconds felt like minutes; minutes felt like hours. And hours felt like days.

He was being stabbed a million times over, the boy feeling his own blood seep through his clothing and ooze out over his hands, which were desperately trying to stop the pain in any way possible. He was being burned, the fire coursing through his bloodstream and melting him away. He was being filled with molten lead, the feeling weighing him down tightly against the ground and stinging his insides with a burning kind of anguish. He was being ripped apart limb from limp, feeling each and every one of his fibers unlatching from one another as they were torn apart. Each and every lash of pain that burned through his body caused his back to arch upwards in a sharp twitch, the boy letting out an inaudible scream with every jerk. He would scream if he could, he would proclaim his agony to each and every person of the world. But the gag around his mouth blocked any noise that could come out, as well as blocking the boy's airways as he struggled to breathe.

He couldn't keep going on like this. He couldn't continue to just thrash and writhe around on the ground, he could feel the blackness pushing in on his vision, compressing his eyesight inwards slowly. The weight on unconsciousness dragged down his frantic thoughts, and his chest suddenly felt weighted-down. His body wouldn't move for him, now, and he felt a burning kind of pain in his throat. Tears bleached his eyes and traveled burning hot trails down his cheeks; he was too caught up in the pain of the moment to worry about being seen by Pitch.

But suddenly, the pain subsided, Jack barely even hearing the staff fall with a sticky-sounding clatter to the ground. It made the child sick to wonder how much of his own blood was covering the weapon. Out of the fuzziness that was his new kind of vision, Jack watched as Pitch cleaned off his hands dramatically, turning around and kneeling down so that he was close to Jack's ear. Smirking at the sight of the boy's dangerously-wounded state, he gave a sneer of disgust. "Oh, come now, Jack." He crooned, faking sympathy for the boy as Jack withered in excruciating spasms. "Why are you crying already? We've barely scratched the surface of your suffering." He shook his head back and forth, clicking his tongue. "Such a shame." He mumbled to himself.

Jack gagged sharply underneath the sand holding him, stomach doing awful twists and flips. His blue eyes screwed shut tightly, and he let out a small whimper underneath his breath. He was about to try and start struggling against the bonds yet again, when suddenly, Pitch's demeanor changed drastically. The man straightened somewhat, a crease appearing in his forehead as he became still. The new change perked Jack's quickly-depleting attention, he looked up at the man fearfully, wondering what was going wrong. He imagined too many terrible things, the gruesome images flashing and cramming themselves into his mind in one long, terrible second. But Pitch only looked straight forward, as if just realizing something. Like a teenager would do when they realized that they had a huge test the next day at 11:49 at night.

But then the moment of shock passed, to be replaced by that same doggish smile that Pitch usually sported whenever he got an idea. Or things of that nature. As if responding to somebody calling out to them, Pitch replied easily, voice unchanged. "Oh look, the dimwit caught on." He purred, Jack's hyperventilating faltering slightly out of surprise and confusion. He tried to open his mouth to ask something, but the black sand just poured into his mouth, choking him and clogging his airways as he started to trash around with panic. But Pitch just tilted his head to the side, listening closely as if he were on the phone. He spoke up once more, and Jack failed to notice the way that his voice seemed louder, seeming to vibrate along the walls as if it were alive. He was too distracted with the throbbing pain that pounded through his head.

But Jack did manage to snap to attention at Pitch's next words. "Are you looking for something you're missing?" He remarked casually. "After all, you all are such a frazzled lot, I wouldn't be surprised if you were so careless." Jack froze at the word 'lot.' Missing? The two words clicked together, and suddenly, Jack's injuries seemed to be the least of his problems. "I might have what you're looking for." He went on, only adding to Jack's fears. "…But you'll have to come find me." At these words, Pitch leaned down suddenly, crouching down so that he was next to Jack's ear.

"It seems as though your puny little Guardian friends are here to 'rescue' you." He said, voice like a snake as it shivered down Jack's spine. The boy's eyes widened with fear at the words, the thought of the others in Pitch's Lair looking for him sent the thoughts of pain fleeting away for the moment as his aching limbs locked together fixedly. Pitch recognized the change, smirking down at Jack scornfully. "Oh, no, don't worry." He cooed, reaching over and digging his fingernails into Jack's arm, injuring the already-wounded skin even farther as the child sucked in a sharp gasp of air. "We can make sure they find their way here, you'll see them soon." He ignored Jack's hyperventilating as it picked back up once again. Instead, he turned, grabbing up Jack's staff once again and displaying it to the Sprite.

Jack's vision was getting more and more fuzzy by the minute, blackness rimming his eyesight like a curtain. It was spreading farther and farther through his line of vision as he struggled to stay awake. But even he knew, when Pitch placed his weapon in from of him, that something was wrong. It didn't have the same mystical qualities that it usually held whenever Jack was in control of it. It looked darker this time, more menacing as Jack took in its broken end. It was jagged and ruined, a mixture of colors close to black and red swirling together sloppily.

"Do you like it?" Pitch asked, catching the boy's widening eyes. Pitch turned, looking up and down the staff critically as he looked back to Jack. "The process isn't finished yet, it looks like. You still have a little white in your hair." The statement confused Jack, Pitch leaning over and raking his fingernails painfully down Jack's skull, the boy's spine arching at the contact. "One more blow should do the trick, I think." Pitch grabbed the staff in his hands tightly, standing upright once more as he readied himself to start the process all over. "Let's get that gag off of you, first." Pitch suddenly grinned, swiping his hand swiftly through the air as the mound of sand that was clamping down on Jack's mouth suddenly whisked away. Jack sucked in a sharp intake of air, shaky and riddled with held-in sobs that he had been unable to express before now.

Pitch's knuckles bleached white as he held on tightly to the wood, and he drew himself up dramatically. "Let's have a nice long scream for them to hear, eh, Jack?" Pitch prompted with a sly sneer. "I want them to see how much you've broken."

Frantically, Jack tried to stop him. "Please." He said, reduced to begging as tears trailed down his cheeks, causing the scarlet blood dripping down his face to turn a watery pink. His voice sounded different, fuzzier and clouded with pain. The tone wasn't as light as it usually was, it was flat and rang in his ears oddly. "Please stop." He begged. "Don't bring the others into this. Do whatever you want to me, just don't hurt anybody else." He tried, watching as Pitch merely lined up his blow. Shoulders shaking, Jack found himself wrapped tightly in agony at the sharp movement as he tried to get away from him before he could strike. But Pitch only gave a laugh at the attempts, pausing a moment before snapping his arms down, the already-broken and sharp point of Jack's own staff slamming through his skin and burying itself deep inside of him.

Jack's body tensed, muscles tightening around the wood and only causing the strike's inflicted pain to triple. But he clamped his teeth together tightly, biting his lip so hard that he tasted the gush of blood that swamped through his mouth from the pressure. He wouldn't scream. He wouldn't call out to them. He was going to be silent. They wouldn't hear him, and therefore wouldn't find him. He didn't want to be found. He just wanted to die. The thought came as a shock, but he realized it was true. He just wanted to give up, curl up in a corner and just fade away. So he kept his jaws shut tightly, shivering and trembling against the ground as the held-in yell bubbled threateningly in the back of his throat.

Pitch seemed disappointed at the lack of reaction, frowning deeply down at the boy, who was slowly losing his fight against unconsciousness. "Oh, I'd hurry if I were you." He snarled. "I am getting quite bored over here." As the words left his mouth, Pitch suddenly put both hands on the handle of the staff, gripping it tightly and watching as new fear flooded through the boy's eyes. When Jack still didn't scream for help, Pitch readjusted his hold on the wood, tensing his arms before he twisted violently to the side, a sickening cracking noise coming from Jack's body at the sharp twist.

His hands tightened on the bonds, eyes flying open wide as he snapped open his mouth. For a minute, it was completely silent, the boy shaking violently as he opened his mouth in a silent scream. Blood gushed out from his chest, drenching him in less than an instant. He instantly felt a sickening wave of freezing cold wash over him. The blood clotted against his clothes, making him hot at the same time. And as the mixture of cold and hot meshed together, Jack founding himself screaming. He screamed with the last of his air that he had taken in, sobbing and begging for Pitch to stop in this torture. He felt his own being torn apart as Pitch continued to ram blows down him, not giving him a moment to try and dodge. He was paralyzed underneath his pain and agony, immobile as he shouted for help, for someone to get him out of here.

Pitch suddenly began to laugh, and Jack stiffened as a sudden wave of blazing heat washed over him, burning his insides and shooting up around him in less than a moment. He was being burned alive, he was being held over a fire as he pictured his skin scarring and withering underneath the fire that coursed across him. His hands clenched and unclenched tightly, legs twitching haphazardly as he let loose another scream. Pitch laughed at the sight of his pitiful state, but Jack was far from noticing. Gradually, his struggles grew weaker and weaker, thrashing and scrambling coming to a halt as he struggled to breathe. Gasping like a fish out of water, Jack's head lolled unwillingly to the side, eyes wide as tears leaked out of their edges. His chest refused to work, and he felt a numbing sensation spread across his body as it started to shut down like a broken machine.

As blackness obscured his vision, Pitch sniggered darkly. "Done already, Jack?" He asked. "Pity. I was just starting to have fun."

The heat still coursed through Jack's limp, shaking form. It ravaged his insides and it felt like acid was making him crumble apart. He was unable to reply to the man, eyes closing in on themselves as the darkness finally won over the boy. He felt himself slowly dipping underneath the feeling of numbness, the fuzzy sea of oblivion swallowing him up and forcing his head underwater. Sinking below the surface, Jack let his form go completely slack, relaxing finally as he fell backwards into the comforting feeling of nothing. He was away from agony and pain, he was slowly floating away to a world where none of that existed.

Where Jamie would be waiting patiently for him, standing neatly on the frozen surface of his pond, sunny-eyed and waiting patiently for his arrival. _I've been waiting, you slowpoke. _He seemed to tease, smiling widely as he showed off the newly-grown tooth that replaced the one that Jack help him loose. _It's about time you got here. I guess I won the race this time, huh? _And though he was unconscious, Jack could almost feel the tears that still refused to stop, marking down his face and leaving clean lines down his blood-stained face. He would lean down, wrapping his arms around the boy tightly, and he could swear that the child was really there. This was really him.

And despite the pain that thrilled through him, Jack gave a teary smile.

_Finally. _

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

Tooth's eyes were bulging out of her head, and her whole body had gone into spastic shivers as she fought to calm herself down. She tried to wrap her mind around what had just happened here, but she felt too sick to wonder what kind of horrible things had led up to this moment. Pitch's eyes flashed like miniature daggers as his smile burned into the back of Tooth's eyelids, and the fairy bit her lower lip to keep herself from screaming aloud. She just stared numbly at the body in Pitch's arms, wanting nothing more than to rush forward and pry Jack away from Pitch's cold embrace, no matter what kind of force it took. But she couldn't move. She was frozen to the spot, eyes bleak as she looked straight forward.

Jack's head was lolled forward, chin touching his chest as his eyes shut gently. Tooth might have considered the fact if not for the obscene amount of blood that was rushing out of the gaping wounds etched through his clothes. But even the thick red liquid slowly pooling around his feet wasn't the bigger issue that drew the Fay's attention. It was his skin, his hair, the all-around new stature of the boy that had not been there when she had seen him leave the Workshop. She had seen Her Jack leave the Toy Factory. The same Jack that had stunning white hair that almost shone as much as his teeth did, his sparkling blue eyes glimmering with amusement and mischief as he hovered above you. He was always so full of fun and laughter, enough to entertain about a million kids all at once, and not leave a single being out of the enjoyment.

This….this wasn't Jack Frost. His shimmering white hair had decayed into a dull brown color, listless and weighted underneath the power of gravity as it drooped down low to his forehead. It covered his eyes, but Tooth knew for the fact that those too would be dark and muddy, just as much as the hair was. His skin wasn't as pale, it was far from it. It was red and irritated from the injuries that cut across it, not smooth and perfect like it normally was. Shakily, trying to raise herself out of her stupor, Tooth forced her voice to work. "…How…how did you do this?" She rasped, being the first to speak out of the three of them. The other two were much too shocked and far too beyond angry to try and say anything at the moment. Tooth would be the one to make the first step.

Pitch's smile widened, as if the words had been just what he was waiting for. "It was simple, really. He didn't put up much of a fight." Tooth bristled at this, but clamped her teeth together tightly, fisting her hands at her sides and silently fuming instead. Pitch seemed to catch this change, laughing slyly underneath his breath as he tightened his hold on Jack, digging his nails into the boy's already-gashed skin. Immediately, Jack reacted unconsciously, gasping sharply as he let out a sharp yell of pain.

"Stop it!" Tooth begged, eyes wide with horror at the sadistic sight. "Let him go, Pitch!"

"I might." Pitch said stiffly, sounding as if he were actually considering the offer as he looked down, judging Jack's state with a careful eye. "It's not as though he's of any use to me anymore, after all." The man changed his gaze so that he regarded the staff at his side, eyes glinting hungrily at the sight of it. Tooth tried not to follow the man's eyes, forcing herself not to look at the stick that had once been the key to all of Jack's powers. She tried to ignore the fact that it was now reduced to being wrapped with nightmares, looking as though it was a symbol for Pitch now, instead of Jack's. And, inevitably, she wondered how much of that thought was true. "Here, Tooth. Maybe you'll finally be able to accomplish something." But before Tooth could say anything, Pitch threw himself forward, letting go of Jack and watching as the boy tumbled out of his arms. "See if you can catch this."

Starting at once, Tooth dashed forward, frantically throwing her arms out and looking upwards, trying to et underneath Jack before he could slam painfully into the ground. North started forward to help, but Tooth managed to catch the boy in the best bridal-style fashion she could. Jack was a heavy weight against her small stature, and she immediately collapsed upon impact, shooting backwards and hitting the ground in a sharp skid. Sandy stooped down at once, reaching out and stopping the Fay before she could go too far, the Fairy shooting him a grateful look as she hastily pushed herself up. Awkwardly holding the limp body of what used to be Jack Frost, Tooth laid him sloppily on the ground, shrugging her arms out from underneath him and drawing back with a hurt expression.

She surveyed the boy carefully, trying not to touch and/or hurt him any more than she already had. His blue hoodie that he normally wore was now riddled with holes, tattered and frayed beyond sensible repair, it looked like. And it was appearing now as more of a purple kind of color than blue, stained for sure, the Fairy could guess. Reaching out tentatively, Tooth brushed the boy's now-brown bangs away from his face, revealing the tensed and pain-stricken expression that now marred the boy's face. For a frightening moment, Tooth thought that the boy wasn't breathing, and she began to panic at once. But then a wave of relief crashed into her as Jack's stomach twitched upwards slightly. It was a small motion, but it was a sign of life at least. It looked as if he had already lost a lot of blood, and Tooth couldn't help but wonder grimly how long that this beating had gone on. Or how long Jack had left before it would be too late to help him.

As she did a quick once-over of Jack's condition, North started to speak, voice spitting mad and raging as he took a threatening step forward to Pitch. "I don't know what has happened here," He snapped, fists shaking with held-in rage as he gripped his swords tightly. "but if you think that you can defy Man in Moon, then you-"

"If I _think_?" Pitch scoffed, laughing at the notion. He turned, scooping up Jack's staff and twirling it in the air. Tooth's grip tightened somewhat on Jack as she watched the man create yet another black snowflake. The small smudge of ash breezed over rapidly, heading for her and landing neatly on the fairy's nose. She stiffened at the touch, a cold feeling spreading through her entire body from the one small touch. She shivered, reaching up and wiping away the snow at once, a shiver trembling down her spine as she arched away from the sudden cold that swamped through her. But this only caused Pitch to sneer over in the Guardian's direction, and she immediately looked back down to Jack, forcing herself to pay attention to him as best she could. "Thinking would mean that I wasn't sure." Pitch sneered. "But, as you can see, I've already done it." He pointed the staff down directly, black ice shooting down to the ground and curling along the floor in an intricate design of what looked to be a Nightmare Fearling. It was just like the shapes that Jack made with his frost, except this promised of what was to come. It didn't send hope and fun throughout the air. It sent fear.

North stiffened at this, Pitch looking up from his work with a satisfied look. "You see?" He prompted darkly, narrowing his eyes as he took in the others' expressions. "This isn't a frilly little froo-froo world anymore, Guardians. This planet is far too soft for my liking, and I've been sitting in the shadows…biding my time…for much too long." He gave a quick snarl of anger, the edges of his lips twitching dreadfully as his hold on the staff tightened. Tooth caught sight of more black frost spreading across the ground, spiking out of the staff in random directions and quick speeds. Tooth had seen the same thing happen to Jack before; sometimes the power of holding all the power of snow and winter was too much, and she had seen it get the best of Jack sometimes as large snowstorms and blizzards erupted out from the teen. Over time, Jack had gotten better at controlling his emotions, but what would happen if somebody like Pitch lost his temper? The thought sent a large lump to shoot up into the Fairy's throat, and she forgot how to breathe as she watched the Nightmare King with a new sense of fear.

The man kept talking, words coming in a rush of anger and fury as his yellow eyes seemed to glow with the pure rage. Around him, Fearlings sprouted up from the ground, black sand drifting off of their coats and floating in a dark aura around them as they stamped the ground. Tooth couldn't help but feel a shock of fright at the sight of the oncoming army, knowing that it would only fuel their ferocity. "I've been biding my time, waiting for the first chance to strike." Pitch spat, advancing towards their group with blazing eyes. "While you've been off spreading _cheer _and _happiness_, I've been calculating. And planning. And thinking. I've worked much too hard for this moment, and no amount of your '_goodiness_' is going to take it away from this time." He ducked his head, narrowing his eyes into angered slits. "There's nothing you can do." He said simply. "I've finally won."

Sandy flinched backwards, blinking rapidly, as if surprised at the fact. Tooth blinked fearfully, turning over and looking up at North anxiously. Was what he said true? The Fearlings were gradually stalking forward, eyes glinting in the darkness as they made for their target slowly, playing with them. Seeing that they were closer, Tooth gasped sharply, reaching out and pulling Jack close to herself protectively, putting on a brave face for the shadows as he felt Jack's forehead against her shoulder. She would protect Jack, if it came down to it. He would survive this, she'd make sure of it. She might not know exactly what was happening, but he was still breathing. He was still alive.

She would make it stay that way.

"No, Pitch." North growled flatly, stopping the man in his tracks as he paused. "You have not won. Not yet."

Pitch let out a bark of laughter. "Is that a challenge, old man?" He questioned.

"No." North snapped. "It is merely a promise. You will never win so long as there is a single light shining on Globe." Pitch looked almost bored at this, amusement dripping off of his face as he crossed his arms over his chest, raising an eyebrow. "We are here for the people of the world. We are not leaving until you give Jack's powers back, and until you release Jamie." He drew out his swords as he spoke this, the metal glinting in the dim light of the dungeon. His words were stiff and final, and the other Guardians didn't even need to listen to any more. Sandy drew out his golden whips of Dreamsand, a large snapping sound echoing through the cavern as they uncoiled. Tooth drew herself up a little nervously, unable to fight as she held Jack tightly in her embrace. That made it two against Pitch, his newfound powers, and his Fearling army. It didn't look so good for them, right now. But North repeated his words thickly, refusing to let up on his stance. "Let Jamie go, and give back what is rightfully Jack's. Otherwise we will make you."

Instead of taking the challenge, Pitch only grew angrier. "You must be thick!" The man snapped irritably, Fearlings twitching with unrest at his sides. They yearned to dash forward and rip into the trio crouching in front of them, but it seemed as though Pitch was managing to hold them back for now. What that meant, Tooth didn't really know. All she knew was that Jack was getting worse and worse by the moment; they needed to leave soon and get him the medical attention that he needed desperately. "You don't understand the full situation, do you?" Pitch demanded harshly. "I don't _need _the weak little boy's help anymore." He growled angrily. "You want him free? Have it your way. I'm much too powerful for it to make a difference anymore."

North blanched, unable to reply as he stared at Pitch, a little lost on what to do.

Pitch hummed, the small mumble turning into yet another evil laugh. "Try as hard as you can, puny Guardians." He cooed softly, watching with amusement as Tooth's wings drooped sadly at his words. "Spread love, give out cheer, give back _teeth_." He said the word like it was a nuisance. He shook his head slowly, as if thinking: 'What a Shame.' "But it will all be for nothing. Because I'm the most powerful Nightmare in the world. I'm much stronger than you Guardians, even if you were to gather all your strength together as one…you would still be fighting a lost cause." He grinned over at them largely, teeth pointed like a devil's. "You might as well give up now."

The Fearlings snarled at this, growling as they started to herd themselves forward. Tooth gasped at once, hugging Jack to herself tightly as one of the shadows nipped forward, growling and snapping in her direction. She scuttled closer to Sandy, trying to be gentle as possible with Jack at the same time. She dragged him along with her, wincing as he gasped unconsciously, his wounds scraping against the ground as she pulled him along. Tooth winced, murmuring a gentle apology down to him as she tried to be gentler. The Fearling watched her with what looked to be a grin on his face, whinnying eerily as she tucked herself closer to Sandy. The man took the hint, side-stepping so that he was in front of her. Tooth didn't have any means of protection, she had to hold Jack and make sure that he was safe. She needed a barrier in front of her to try and create a safety net.

North's eyes narrowed dangerously. "This is not over, Pitch." He snarled furiously, knuckles bleached white from their tight grip on the swords. Pitch flared up, but North spoke before he could say anything, reaching into his jacket as he did so. "You might have Jack's powers, but you do not know how to use them." The man's lip curled at the insult, more bursts of pitch black ice flooding out from the staff. They were getting closer and closer to the group, and Tooth gave a sharp little gasp. _Please, elements of winter. _She begged. _If Jack ever meant anything to you, please help us. Don't let Pitch bend you to his will. _But the ice didn't stop spreading, jagged lines nearing the hunched trio where they sat. North watched them carefully before meeting the glare of Pitch bravely. "You know as well as I that it is true." He growled. "And sooner or later, you'll realize that we are _always _more powerful than you."

Pitch stiffened at once, eyes widening frantically as North's hand withdrew from his coat. "W-Wait!" He shouted angrily. "What're you-"

Sandy looked over quickly at Toothiana, but the girl was already preparing herself for it. She tightened her hold on Jack, wincing at the sharp hold that she had over the boy as she thought a small apology down at him. North drew out his arm fully, revealing his magic Snowglobe that he used to get around. Most Guardians had at least one special thing that they had to their name, and usually Tooth took North's for granted. But right now, she thanked her lucky stars for it. They would be able to get out of here in less than ten seconds with the help of it. _Just hang on, Jack. We'll get you out of here._

"Stop!" Pitch screamed, raising Jack's staff with anger. At his scream, the Fearlings darted forward, snapping and screeching like nails on a chalkboard. North threw out his arm, a large portal appearing in front of them as a big image of the Workshop shimmered to life in front of them. He was about to throw himself through the screen, when suddenly, Tooth remembered something. Frantically, she reached out, grabbing North's arm tightly and holding him back.

"The sleigh!" She gasped fearfully.

But North shook his head. "We need to leave!" He yelled, the Fearlings nearly upon them. Sandy was up on his feet, lashing out at them with his counter-sand as he lashed his whips across the ones that got too close. At contact, they blasted to pieces, being reduced to sand as they fell into a crumpled heap. Pitch was shooting black ice every which way, but his aim was way off. It was obvious he wasn't used to the ability over ice as well as Jack was. North stooped down in a rush, taking Jack from Tooth's cradling arms as he lifted him up much easier. Jack was turned into the man's stomach, being shielded from the Nightmares as they rushed forward. His forehead was creased as North took him in his arms; was he having his own nightmare? Was it was scary as what the Guardians were going through now? "Sandy!" North barked, snapping the man out of the battle as he whirled around. "Get through the portal!"

The yellow man hesitated a moment before nodding once, turning and diving through the screen and disappearing on the other side. Tooth's wings flitted to life at once, gaining altitude as she made for the portal as well, hot on Sandy's tail. But right as she was about to dive through as well, something sharp and painful wrapped around her wrist, the girl collapsing with surprise as she let out a sharp scream. "Tooth!" North yelled in a panic, looking down at the Fay with a look of shock and horror. Rapidly, knowing she had no time, Tooth forced herself back up to her feet. She couldn't fly as well as she would have liked, nowadays, the belief that had fueled her before was draining. Pretty soon, she wouldn't be able to fly at all. But she managed to get herself up once more, looking down at her arm with a look of pain creased over her normally-pretty features.

Her feathers had dropped off of her wrist, falling into a scatter on the ground. Instead, she looked down and saw irritated, blackened skin. Tooth tried to reach out and touch it, immediately wincing away as the movement caused a wave of pure-white pain to shoot behind her eyelids. She'd only felt something like this once before, and it wasn't even as long as this. It was a brief feeling, and she hadn't gotten the time to fully understand the pain that it inflicted. Because the person that did it to her hadn't meant for it to happen. But as she looked at her ruined wrist, Tooth had to bite down as hard as she could on her tongue to keep from screaming aloud in agony.

Frostbite.

"TOOTH!" North yelled, snapping her out of her stupor as she jerked forward. The Fairy stumbled backwards, eyes wide as she saw a Fearling leap at her throat, black sand erupting from it and threatening to cloud her vision. She was paralyzed from the sudden thrill of fear that rushed through her, her limbs locking together stiffly as she gasped, bracing herself for the burst of pain that was sure to come sooner rather than later. But suddenly, a hand clapped on her shoulder, tightening considerably and calling her to attention. She felt herself being dragged backwards by North, the Russian managing to juggle both her and Jack at the same time. She felt herself passing through the film of the passageway that the snow globe had created, eyes wide as she watched Pitch's dungeon fade away right in front of her eyes.

The Fearling that had leapt at her was surprised at her sudden departure, mistiming his jump and falling to the ground. It skidded a few feet, still screeching an unearthly scream as it lashed out at the air. Tooth went almost numb, locking eyes with Pitch right before the Portal closed behind them. The man held tight to Jack's staff…his staff, now. Black ice shot around the room in a frenzy, a miniature blizzard of fury and anger raging around the cavern by now. His yellow eyes were crisp with frustration, and Tooth heard his yell even after the Portal slammed shut.

"You can't hide from me!" He screeched. "No matter where you go, I'll be there! Watch your backs, Guardians! Your world of cheer and joy is soon going to be _MINE!"_

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

Mumbled words. Muffles of voices that sounded far away, and yet so close all at the same time. Jack's forehead creased at the noise buzzing in his ears, reverberating with a fuzzy kind of tone. It was like trying to talk into a phone with bad connection, he could only hear snippets of words. Things that stuck out to him, and that he could actually hear. Things like 'Pitch' and 'Jack.' …Jack? It took him a moment to realize what was happening, his mind drawing a scary blank as he couldn't think of anything for a minute. _His _name was Jack. That was his name. Whoever it was, they were talking about him.

Like lifting up weights that were far too heavy for him, Jack forced his eyes to open, the task taking a lot more work than he would have first anticipated. His eyelids were heavy and sticky, almost refusing to open as they tried to shut back in on themselves. But he managed to feat, finally, colors and shapes swirling together and gradually coming into a slow focus. He was laying down on something soft…a bed? He felt the slight pressure of blankets on him, and the comforting fluff of a pillow cushioning his aching head from behind. His body felt dull and achy. It didn't hurt, but he could tell that it would soon. All he could feel right now was a slight tickling feeling all across his body; there were injuries there, he could tell. And he could tell they were bad.

…What had happened, again?

His mind was drawing another dark blank. He was coming up with nothing.

He slowly moved his head to the side, the movement causing a lance of pain to travel up his spine. The slight action caused the rest of his body to respond, the pain that had been hiding behind the tickling sensation leapt out like a predator, latching onto his nerves and digging its claws into him tightly as he let out a sharp gasp of shock. His body tensed and went rigid, only making the feeling ten times worse as he gagged. Starting to trash around with panic, Jack tried to get up, too wrapped in pain to notice anything else about his surroundings for the most part.

But then strong hands went down rather gently, pushing down his limbs and ensuring no movement. Jack turned towards the person, realizing with the a shock that it was more than one person. It was people. And he felt a wave of relief as he recognized them. He _knew _these people. Tooth, Bunny, Sandy, and North were all gathered around him anxiously, looking at him with a mixture of alarm and pure, outright grief. The expressions that met his own fuzzy one surprised him, and he felt a look of slow confusion slug over his face. Despite the fact that he knew he was injured, he tried to reach out to them, trying to reassure them. What was wrong? Why were they so sad?

"…What's wrong?" He managed, surprising himself. His voice scratched against his throat like metal against metal, words barely distinguishable underneath the crackle. _Is that my voice? _he wondered stupidly, in his pain-induced haze. It didn't sound like his voice. It sounded like he had been screaming for the past hour and a half straight. His body felt like lead, every inch of it slowly starting to hurt by now. The tickling that he had felt previously slowly morphed into a hot stinging feeling, pricking his skin and burning every centimeter of him. It was like he was sitting in the middle of a fire and thought: 'Well, this is quite nice. I would like to stay here for a while.' Every joint and muscle screamed angrily at him when he moved, but he had to keep moving. He had to know what was bothering everybody. He had to help them. He tried to push himself up once more, only to find himself gagging from the failed movement, a wave of nausea rushing over him as his body reacted painfully.

Tooth jerked at the sight, looking away with a small sob. "I never thought…" She rasped, reaching up with a slightly discolored arm as she wiped her eyes roughly. The movement left her with a streak of gray on her face, but she didn't make a move to try and get that off. She merely looked down at the ground, as if forcing herself not to look at Jack. "…it's not possible…" She trailed off, unable to finish her words. Jack blinked through the pain rapidly, managing to raise his hand a millimeter off the mattress with a great amount of force. He reached out for Tooth, trying to form words as best he could.

North wrapped his hand gently over Jack's, lowering it down gently as he tried to comfort him. "Oh…Jack…" He tried. Jack was far from comforted, though. A muffled look overcame his face, and through the burning and stinging that was clouding his thoughts, he wondered briefly: _…Have I…been here before? _It seemed like he had, but he never remembered pain so intense like this before. He didn't remember so acutely the feeling of wanting to curl up and die on the spot. He would have remembered something as terrible as this, he was sure of it.

The thick accent of Bunny made its presence known, and Jack turned with a flinch over in his direction. North sighed at the movement, but did not rebuke him, merely reaching out and trying to help him as best he could. But Jack didn't want to be comforted. He wanted answers. What had happened? Everything before now was…dark. He couldn't remember it. What had happened? Why was he here? Why did he hurt so much? Bunny looked sourly down at him, looking as if he were torn between being hopping mad or frantically worried. But when he spoke, he just made it sound like Jack was a toddler having done something stupid. "You shouldn't have left, Mate." He said stiffly. "Now look what you are, where it got ya."

Jack stiffened at this, the words striking a cold shock of ice right through his heart.

Those words…

Tooth whirled around, tears already flowing down her face as she rounded on him in a sudden burst of rage. "DON'T YOU DARE SAY ANY OF THIS IS HIS FAULT!" She screamed, voice bouncing across the walls as she broke through the tension that had been held over the room shortly before. Jack flinched violently at this, gasping as pain exploded behind his eyelids at the sudden volume. Sandy noticed this, trying to get the Fairy to calm down, but she didn't listen. She merely met Bunny's cold stare head-on, fuming as she raised her hand back in what looked like a punch. "SHUT UP BUNNYMUND! JUST…SHUT UP!" Bunny flared at this, pointing to Jack angrily and preparing to scream back at her, countering her attack with his own. But her next words brought him to a halt. "YOU UNGRATEFUL…I WISH THIS WAS YOU INSTEAD OF HIM!"

Jack felt North let go of his hand, trying to sort out the situation through his clouded mind as he blinked blearily. The darkness was back, edging around his vision like a vulture once more, trying to drag him under. _No! _He thought sluggishly, trying to fight against the feeling. _I have to know what's wrong! What happened? What happened to me? Why am I like this? Why is Tooth so upset? What did I do? _He tried to voice the thoughts, but his throat refused to work for him. The words came out as a scratchy mess, words and syllables too spread out to even try to make sense of.

North dashed forward, planting himself between Tooth and Bunny firmly. He turned over to the Fairy, eyes stern and yet gentle at the same time. "You do not mean this, Tooth." He said, trying to calm the raging girl before she did or said something she regretted.

But she wouldn't be consoled. "I DO!" She yelled, slapping the man away as she shot a furious look over at the Easter Bunny. Catching the hint that things might not be going the right way entirely, Sandy went over to Jack slowly, eyes worried as he started to wring his hands together nervously. "YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO…TO SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT?" Tooth demanded to Bunny, face as pink as her eyes as outrage rose to color her cheeks like a rose. It was then that Jack realized that Sandy wasn't just fidgeting uncomfortably. He was crafting a dream out of sand.

He turned over to Jack, reaching out and preparing himself to dust the teen with yellow sand before he could hear too much and become in an even worse state…if that was even possible. But Jack tried to shrink away from him, feeling his eyes start to burn as blistering heat threatened to take him right under. He had to stay awake. He was still lost on what was going on. He had to know. What was wrong? "…please…" He rasped painfully, choking on air as he finally managed to speak. Sandy stopped short at this, blinking sorrowfully as the boy gave him a look that expressed every bit of excruciating feeling that he had to endure. "…please don't…" He begged quietly.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU." Tooth screamed. "JACK IS GOING TO DIE! AND YOU'RE JUST THINKING OF YOURSELF! CAN'T YOU THINK ABOUT HIM FOR A CHANGE! HE'S DYING!"

Jack stiffened at this, eyes widening as fear flooded through every inch of him. "…I'm-" He finally managed to talk loud enough, the other Guardians turning quickly to look back at him, eyes wide at his words. Jack's fear-filled eyes met Tooth's own, tortured ones, and she let out another sob, turning down and burying her head in her hands tightly. Her shoulders shook up and down as she trembled, refusing to look at Jack as she sobbed into her arms. "…Tooth…" Jack tried, wincing away from the sound of his own voice.

North ducked his head away from the boy, copying Tooth as he shook his head back and forth. Jack felt another sharp stab in his heart. Could _anybody _look at him? "Go, Sandy." North said stiffly. "Put him under." He said, ignoring Jack as the boy started to struggle. "Now." He ordered, sharper this time. "Don't let him reopen his wounds. We just dressed them."

"…please…" Jack begged again, Sandy lowering the yellow glow closer to his head.

North met his eyes, blue eyes weighted down with regret and sadness. "I'm sorry, Jack." He said simply.

Jack opened his mouth to say something, but the sand swirled forward, wrapping around his head and banishing any kind of thoughts from his head. He felt himself unwillingly go slack, head relaxing back into the pillow as his eyes shut on themselves gently. His breathing evened out gradually, and he felt himself start to fall asleep, completely against his wishes. The last thing he heard was Tooth's voice, small and sad as she said the question most of them must have been thinking; Jack was even thinking it. "…What do we do now?" She asked softly.

Jack could have had an answer. He could have said something smart. Like: _Whatever it takes._

Or: _Anything and everything. Just name the time and place we need it done by. Leave it to me._

But he couldn't.

The Dreamsand worked its magic, and he felt himself sink under its influence.

And his world faded away to a soft black.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

A/N: **Not knowing how to think, I scream aloud, begin to sink**

**My legs and arms are broken down, with envy for the solid ground**

**I'm reaching for the life within me…**

**How can one man stop his ending?**

**I thought of just your face…relaxed, and floated into space…**

Into the Ocean - Blue October

I hope you liked this chapter. I tried to do it justice : )

Go check out my poll~! It's something silly that I was talking to my friends about today ^^

I just have one more EOC to do! So expect a lot more of me, hopefully! :D

PLEASE REVIEW! I WANNA HEAR WHAT YOU GUYS THINK OF THIS STORY SO BAD! ^^


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! :D And there IS a story behind my new poll, if you've already checked it out. I was telling my friend about how I'm close to a whopping 700 reviews on my HTTYD fanfiction, and she said that I could probably make a fanfiction out of anything. She then challenged me at my house that I couldn't make a fanfiction out of the next thing I heard. Which was, unfortunately, my mother asking me if I still wanted her to go out and check Target for all of The Karate Kid movies. I'm on the fence about whether or not I'm uploading it onto here, there's a fine line for fanfiction. And usually people who make fanfiction out of classics like that either A: fail miserably and have people criticize them. Or B: actually do good, but have rabid, frothing at the mouth fans yelling at them when they make a small mistake. I'm definitely doing it, though. My friend isn't going to let me forget the bet. But I just don't know whether or not I'll upload it onto here. So I really need some feedback from you all pretty soon~! ^^

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

Tooth stood off to the sidelines, wings fluttering a little sharper than normal as she hovered silently. Her pink eyes were weighted down as she watched the scene in front of her, and her shoulders looked somewhat stooped at the sight that met her. In any other circumstance, the sight would have made her scream with delight; it would have made her fly a million laps around the world just to express the sheer amount of joy she felt. After all, it showed a new kind of prospect for their future, and maybe it even would have showed them all a little bit of hope at the same time. But now, it just struck confusion and dread into her, and it was all she could do to keep herself from fleeing from the Workshop in fear of what might be to come.

The Fay watched, mouth closed tightly into a firm line, as Sandy hovered over Jamie, eyes narrowed with concentration as he fussed over the boy. Sophie stood next to the Guardian, looking unsure and maybe a little doubtful herself. The sight of the girl so worried was enough to break Tooth's heart. She had been so carefree and happy before Pitch had made her see the light of the situation. And now, nine times out of ten, she was crestfallen in her playing, and her smile never did reach her eyes. It was disheartening at most times, and yet, there seemed to be a new light in the girl's wide green eyes. Even she could see that something good might actually be happening.

Though, Tooth couldn't fathom the reasons for it.

Finally, she forced herself to speak up, voice quiet and smaller than normal. "How is he?" She asked softly, almost wincing away from the answer that Sandy could give her. Usually Jamie was screaming from nightmares by now, the regular time of when his yells and shouts would come was almost a whole hour ago. And now that Sophie had wriggled her way inside the room, Tooth was on edge. What if he started crying again while she was still here? That would just make things a whole lot worse. And Tooth was starting to wonder if that was even _possible _by now.

Sandy turned to look at her, forehead creased as he displayed his confusion. So at least it wasn't just her that might be over-thinking things. Above his head, a series of alternating Z's drifted by, signaling the pattern of calm sleep. Tooth's interest piqued at this, the Fairy straightening visibly as she tilted her head to the side. "He's better?" She demanded tensely, unable to believe it herself without some kind of assurance. Sandy blinked, hesitating as he stared back at her blankly. He didn't have an answer. Giving a small shrug, the Z's flashing on and off rapidly overhead again. All he knew was that he was sleeping better, nothing more.

Swallowing back her dash of frustration, Tooth nodded slowly, sighing through her nose at the lack of information. A sudden set of footsteps sounded behind her, and the Fay turned quickly, hope blossoming in her chest as a sudden smile spread across her face. But the grin was dashed away at once as she saw that it was just North and Bunny. The two stood in the doorway, North first, and Bunny trailing behind. Which was how it should be. The Fairy felt a warm lash of anger strike across her face as it grew hot, pink eyes narrowing to throw a glare in the rabbit's direction. His ears flicked backwards guiltily at her look, but he didn't say anything in his defense.

Forcing herself to look away from him, Tooth turned her attention to North. She glanced over quickly to Sophie, biting her lower lip anxiously. Lowering her voice to a small whisper, she hissed: "…is he alright?" Her words came a little slowly, and she had a hard time getting them out. It was like she was trying to talk around a gag in her mouth. Thank the heavens that Sophie hadn't noticed her words; it was bad enough when the girl asked where Jack had gone off to, or when he would play with her again. If she knew the hard truth of the ordeal, it would break her heart. It would be better if Jack was awake to tell her in that special way that he has. Tooth wasn't as good as him when it came to children, and that much was showing quite plainly right about now.

North sighed heavily, shaking his head back and forth. Sandy perked where he stood, turning and watching the trio talk out of the corner of his eye as he tried to juggle listening in and taking care of Jamie at the same time. "He is asleep." The man reported, suddenly looking a million years older as he reached up and rubbed his eyes. He looked exhausted, like he had been running a marathon during the hours that they had been back at the Factory. He must have been trying to keep Jack with them harder than Tooth first thought. The image of the now-tired man working so hard made Tooth both saddened and appreciative at the same time. Not noticing the fairy's slight chance in mood, North went on. "Bunny and I dressed the wounds as best we could. He shouldn't be in too much pain." He paused for a heartbeat. "Is all up to Jack, now." He said, albeit weakly.

Tooth nodded slowly. "Thank you, North." She managed.

The man just nodded simply. He went silent for a moment, eyes that were usually filled to the brim with wonder were now strained and haunted. He was worried, and he wasn't doing such a good job of covering it up. Not that the Fairy blamed him, of course. North's attention shifted through, eyes widening considerably as he looked over at Jamie. The boy was still asleep on the bed, but he was obviously more relaxed. He was curled up on his side, eyes closed gently as he let out a few light snores every now and then. His breathing was deep and calm, not rushed and panicked like it normally was. He wasn't tossing and turning, or yelling out for help. He was merely sleeping; he looked just like every kid did when they weren't awake. There wasn't any trace of nightmares left for him.

"What happened here?" He asked, pointing over to the boy's change in demeanor.

Knowing that Sandy wouldn't reply, Tooth answered the question for him. "We don't know." She said with a grimace. "We came in here, and Jamie was like this." Her mind flashed back to what Pitch had said before, the Fay blinking rapidly as a crease furrowed over her forehead. "You don't think that…he was being serious. Right?" She asked, glancing back over at the sleeping child with a much more thoughtful look. _You want him free? Have it your way. I'm much too powerful for it to make a difference anymore. _Did he really let Jamie go of his long-held nightmares? "What would he gain from doing that?" Tooth asked, nose wrinkled.

But North did not look happy. And as he looked at Jamie, his glare only deepened. "To get to Jack." North stated, Tooth turning over to him at the words as her breathing hitched. "When Jack wakes up, he will see what Jamie had been through. Most likely he'll blame himself. It was meant that way." Tooth started to wring her hands together out of habit, frowning in sadness at the thought. But North's next words surprised Tooth out of her feathers. "Maybe…" He lowered his voice with a quick look over at Sophie. But the girl was busy fawning over Sandy's creations as they started to dance around the room, acting as a distraction for the child. "Maybe it is time for them to leave." North said carefully, speaking as slowly as a person would walking in between broken shards of glass.

Tooth gasped sharply at the idea, immediately flaring as her anger got out of control again. Thankfully, she remembered Sophie at the last minute, lowering her voice to sharp whisper. "What do you mean, 'leave?'" She snapped, North starting at her tone as he looked back over at her wildly. "They're safer here than they are anywhere else! They'll be fine, I'll make sure of it! Jack needs to know that Jamie is okay now, or…will be okay! If we dump them off at Burgess before he wakes up, he'll be heartbroken. It'll be worse of than if we let them stay in the first place!"

Bunny spoke up this time, though hesitantly. And he wasn't helping Tooth's mood against him as she turned to glower in his direction. "Think about it, Tooth." He said, trying to ignore the daggers she was glaring into him. "Jamie might not be the same anymore. And so far, his sister ain't doing such a good job in bein perky." Tooth sighed at this, anger starting to melt away little by little as the facts were given to her. "Sure, Jack would be overjoyed to see his friends okay. But…how would he feel if they weren't the same kids he knew a few months ago? They might be changed completely. It could be either one. Are you willing to take the risk of waiting?"

Weakening, Tooth pleaded softly. "I could take away Jamie's memories." North and Bunny exchanged a silent look at the prospect, but Tooth swept on, not giving them even a second to interrupt her. "I could make Jamie forget about the nightmares and everything that happened during them. The last thing he'll remember will be leaving the forest with Jack. The night before he started getting the bad dreams."

"Wiping people's mind is not that easy, Tooth." North said flatly.

"I'll be careful." Tooth retorted a little childishly, feeling her eyes start to sting.

Bunny was speaking, yet again. _Why couldn't he just learn to shut his big mouth? _"Actually, we were already thinking about that." He hedged. "We might think it's better for the kids…if we erase all of their memories." He said, Tooth going completely still at the words. Her wings faltered, slowing down until they were folded neatly to her back. She lost altitude, dropping down to land on the ground with a silent thud. Her pink eyes were round with surprise, and she reached up, holding a tight fist against her heart. She searched Bunny's gaze, trying to make sense of what he had just said.

"You mean….all of it?" She asked emptily. "You expect me to…take away all of what they believe in?"

Whether it was because Jamie could hear them arguing, or he was still shaking off the last remaining hint of nightmares, he gave a small mumble in his sleep, eyes shutting together tightly. But Tooth couldn't look away from North and Bunny, looking almost lost as she switched her crestfallen eyes from the rabbit to the Russian. North heaved a deep sigh, looking regretfully over to the Fay. "It would be best." He sighed, not reacting to her stunned look. "Pitch knew that the kids were close to us. They used Jack against Jamie in his own dream to try and break him." Tooth stared back at him dumbly, mind flashing back to the time when Jamie had been calling out for Jack to come back, even though the boy was standing right beside him. "We do not know what is to come, but if Pitch tries tactic again, it could be worse."

"It's for their own good, Tooth." Bunny stated fairly.

Tooth blinked, suddenly feeling overwhelmed at the eyes that were trained on her. She couldn't tell whether they were _asking _her or _telling _her to wipe the children's' memories. Whether it was a plead, or a command. Feeling her stomach start to do circles, Tooth look back bleakly at Jamie. The boy was shifting back and forth by now, eyelids fluttering, as if he were trying to wake up. Would he wake up? What would Tooth do then? Were North and Bunny going to make her wipe their brains? The thought was enough to make her puke right on the spot. She didn't want to do anything like that!

Slowly, she twisted back around to stare steadily back at them, having to tilt her head and look up as she did so. Now that she wasn't flying, she was a good few feet shorter than the both of them. But she managed to look defiant from her standpoint, eyes narrowing and fists clenching at her sides. She made sure that she looked self-assured, and then when she spoke, there would be no challenging her choice that she was about to make. "After Jack wakes up." She said firmly, North and Bunny staring back at her blankly at her rebuttal. "Let him say goodbye. Let him see them one last time. And then…" She trailed off, coming to a blank point as she swallowed thickly. "And then….I'll consider it more."

"Tooth." Bunny urged her. "We don't have much time. Pitch has Jack's powers. If we don't-"

"I know what's going on, thank you." She hissed frostily. "I'm trying to think about everybody, though." She paused for a moment, silently fuming. "Don't you know how much this will tear Jack apart? Especially now? Jamie and Sophie are the two people that he's closest to in this world; I think he's closer to them than he is with us! And you're planning on taking that _all _away from him. It's going to wreck him, and that won't help him heal from what he's been through. Both mentally and physically. I'm aware of the fact that we need to protect these two kids." She turned, looking at Sophie as the girl patted a yellow unicorn that was bouncing around her. She had that same odd smile in her eyes; the one that never reached her dead green eyes. "And I know we aren't doing such a good job." She mumbled. "…I'll do anything to save them from Pitch. And if that's our only way…then we'll have to do it. But we do it after Jack gets to be with them. After he gets healed enough so that he can deal with it." Her voice choked slightly, tapering off at the end as she became lost for any more words.

North gave a small nod, not finding faults in her words. Tooth gave another sigh. "Now." She huffed sorrowfully. "If you'll excuse me, I'd like to go sit with Jack. Make sure that he's okay." Downcast, Tooth kept her eyes trained on the ground, wings starting up at her sides a little weakly as she brushed past the two without meeting their eyes. She felt like she was dragging a heavy mental weight behind her, having to lug it behind her with a strain far too great for her to handle. It was the representation of Sophie and Jamie's newfound, and very possible, belief-void life. Or the way that Tooth had let the kids of the world down, and the way they were slowly giving up on her. Or the fact that Jack was completely oblivious to this situation, asleep and deaf to their new problems.

It didn't matter how you diced it up. All of them were like stabs in the heart for her.

"Hey, Tooth." Bunny's voice stopped her cold, the Fay turning slowly and looking back at him mournfully. His ears twitched backwards a little hesitantly, but he screwed up the nerve and gave her a small, comforting smile. Tooth stared back at him, biting her lower lip gently as she stared back at him sadly. Her eyes were round pools of misery at their demands, wondering if she could force herself to meet them. "Sometimes…you gotta think with your head. Not your heart."

He meant the words to be comforting, but they did nothing to help the fairy. She merely swung around, throwing open the door and going back out into the hallway. She shut the door behind her swiftly, the sharp click seeming to echo in the quietness that met her in the long corridor. Closing her eyes she leaned against the wall heavily, sliding down and coming to a stop against the ground. Tucking her knees up close to her chest, the fairy heaved a great sigh. Think with your head? Not your heart? What does that mean? Listen to reason over consequences to others? Not let your emotions influence your choices that you make?

_What does that mean for me? _She wondered in silent anguish.

_Does that mean I'm heartless?_

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

He was underwater again. The pressure against his chest warned him not to take a breath of air, the darkness that surrounded him signaling the drowning depths of the ocean that he had found himself in. But when he came to desperately need it, air did flood through his lungs, cold and sharp as it scraped down his throat. He wasn't underwater, he was just half-asleep. The fuzziness dragged down his thoughts, making them sluggish and dragging as they desperately tried to go somewhere. Trying to click together muffled scenes and words that he managed to remember, Jack tried to fix his choppy memory. But he wasn't doing so well. Inwardly, he let out a frustrated groan, and it took a few minutes for him to realize that he actually did let out a growl of frustration at his own incapability.

"Jack?" A voice sliced through his clouded haze, shining light on his confusion and bringing with it, a new sense of clarity. His thoughts cleared little by little, and Jack found his eyes trying to open. They felt like two weights as he forced them to open, but he did so anyway, having to make a conscious effort to do so. Smudges of shapes and colors surrounded him, all looking dull and uncolored. Slowly, they morphed into shapes that made sense, things like the end of a bed, and a table across the room. A dresser against the wall, and drapes that hid the weather outside. The drapes shielded the moon's light from the room, making it dark, and hopefully what made the room so dark and bland. Otherwise, Jack was in a very boring-looking room.

He started to turn to where he heard the voice, but stopped short, grimacing deeply as pain wrapped tightly around his midsection. He gasped with surprise, having been unaware of the pain up until this moment. But now that his thoughts were clearer than before, he was aware of the stifling heat that burned and pricked at his skin. It caught him off-guard, which only made the jolt that went up his spine worse. He was too wrapped in the shock of things for a moment, that he wasn't aware of anything else. But then he felt a cool-feeling pressure on his shoulder, comforting and assuring in its gentle grip. "Jack, calm down." The same voice shushed. "It's okay, you're back at North's. You're safe. You're fine. Just calm down. Deep breaths. In and out, you can do it."

Following the advice blindly, Jack forced himself to breathe around the pain, slowing his gasps and trying to separate himself from the panic that was trying to grab hold of him. The lack of hyperventilation helped to clear his mind further, and Jack realized that something else was wrong. Everything looked…different. He couldn't see as well as he thought he could. He didn't know if that was just because he was confused, or in pain. But he couldn't see the sharpness of everything. Usually, he was able to see the thinnest grains in the wood of furniture if he concentrated; sometimes he could even see bits of the smallest condensation that misted over the edge of a cup. But now…everything seemed so…off. It was simple. Like a condensed version of his usually-so-sharp eyesight. Like putting a really scratched-up piece of film over his face when he wasn't looking, he knew something was different. There wasn't a huge difference, but…

"Jack?" The voice again. This time, knowing the way that his body was so sensitive, Jack moved slowly, turning his head as gently as he could manage. He was propped up by pillows, so high that he was halfway sitting up and halfway laying down on the bed. It wasn't an uncomfortable feeling, it took away a lot of the pressure that must have been pressing down on Jack's chest. Though it still burned, it was tolerable. Head going slack to the right, Jack blinked slowly, locking eyes with the person sitting timidly on a chair on his bedside. Her pink eyes seemed to be the only bright thing in the room; her feathers were less vibrant, it seemed, as they blended into the background of things. That, or it was just another one of Jack's inability to see clearly at the moment. But her pink eyes shone like they always did when he was around her, and he found something to really latch on to as he studied her. "Are you alright, Jack?" Tooth asked, tilting her head to the side with concern.

"…Tooth?" Jack asked, voice rasping oddly in the back of his throat. "…What…?"

"We got you away from Pitch." Tooth explained, not needing another excuse to elaborate for him. Jack stiffened visibly at the memory, bits and pieces of his fragmented mind connecting together as he started to make sense of what had happened before now. "You tried to…take things into your own hands. But when we found you, you were in a critical state." Her eyes flashed down to his chest worriedly, but she held back her questions of how he felt, making a mental note to ask him that later. "We managed to beat Pitch back far enough to get away with you, and we brought you back here to the Factory. We dressed your wounds, and you should be better by now." As her words went out of her mouth, though, she looked a little unsteady in her tone. Choked back, like she was holding something from him. "Do you feel alright? Is there anything I can do to help?"

Jack didn't reply right away, eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at the fairy carefully. He calculated her movements, watching her a newfound sense of bemusement. She had her eyes trained firmly on his wounds that littered across his body, or the blanket that was covering him up. She didn't look up; she didn't raise her eyes to his anymore. She was avoiding looking at him directly. "What's wrong?" Jack asked hoarsely, forehead creasing as a put-out feeling settled like a weight in his stomach. Tooth didn't reply, merely reaching out and smoothing out a small wrinkle that had made its appearance known on the comforter. "Tooth." Jack called, firmer this time. The Fairy sighed softly at this new tone, wilting visibly as she looked up reluctantly. But as she looked at him, even Jack could see the flash of pain that lingered in her coral orbs. A somewhat hurt look came over the boy's face as he wondered what could be bugging her, voice tinged with sorrow as he repeated his question. "What's wrong?"

But Tooth suddenly brightened, smiling gently as she shook her head. "Nothing is wrong, Jack." She assured him swiftly, her smile seeming a little more than forced to him. And that was saying something, since his vision seemed to be at least half of what it used to be before now. "I'm just glad that you'll be okay now. Nothing else matters now." Her voice was tense, as if she was trying to convince herself at the same time as she was Jack. Something was wrong. Tooth was never a good liar in the first place; most of the Guardians weren't, now that he thought about it. He seemed to be the only good liar in the group, which made it easier to spot the changed in behavior with the others since he was more used to it.

He sorted out his mangled thoughts, forcing them into organized chaos as best he could. "Tooth, I know you're not telling me the truth." He said, voice sharp as he glared over at her. The Fay sighed listlessly at his objection, but she didn't stick up for herself, only furthering his suspicions. "Where's everyone else?" Jack prompted, voice getting clearer the more he talked. His eyes flickered back and forth across the room, searching for at least one of the other Guardians. But the room was void of anybody else besides the two of them. The loneliness that seemed to vibrate through the room brushed him the wrong way, and he swallowed around the newfound lump in his throat. Something was definitely wrong here.

"Oh, they're off looking after Jamie and Sophie." Tooth said, trying to make her voice light and dismissive. "You know how they can swallow up time. Especially Sophie." She paused a moment, wincing a little as she added onto her words. "She's been asking for you a lot. She'll be happy to know that you're up."

Jack started, forgetting his doubting of Tooth as he was caught off-guard once more. "'Asking for me?'" He repeated dumbly. "…How long have I been out?" He asked, reaching up with a weighted arm to clap a hand across his forehead, holding his hand against a rather tender spot on his head. It throbbed underneath his palm, and he tried to remember the last thing that happened to him. Wasn't he in a bad last time he was awake? Did that mean that he fell asleep? It seemed like such a long time ago, but in reality, it could have been a short while ago. His time seemed to be a little mixed up, it felt like.

"Oh, not long." Tooth assured him, watching as he visibly relaxed. "Actually, I was expecting you to be out for a much longer time than this." She turned, looking over to the clock that was mounted on the wall, counting up the hours mentally. "Maybe….a little bit more than ten hours." She said. "Which is pretty impressive, considering the state that you're in. You gave us all quite a scare, you know." She said, changing the subject as her gaze hardened angrily. "We had no idea where you'd gone, and you barely made it out alive. You should count yourself lucky that I wasn't about to let you go off on your own. I told the others were you were going, and we went after you. If it weren't for me looking out for you, you'd be six feet under right now."

Jack stung at the insult, but his expression softened gratefully. "You're right." He sighed, giving the Fay the best smile that he could manage in his beat-up state. "I'm sorry, Tooth. I really am. I didn't deserve for you to keep going after me." He gave a sharp exhale, causing his chest to sting sharply at the movement as he flinched. "I've been a real jerk to you." He said, pushing away the pain as he looked at her anxiously. "I've been a jerk to everyone, even when I know that you'd never be mean to me." Tooth tensed at this, eyes rounding out slightly as she looked at him with a bleak sort of expression. "And I wanted to say-" He broke off suddenly, catching sight of the Fairy's arm as his mouth went slack. "Oh…" He rasped slowly.

Tooth's right wrist was coated with a painful-looking black smudge. It wrapped around her arm tightly, and for a moment, Jack thought that it was a bruise. But then he realized that the surface of it shone dimly in the darkly-lit room; it wasn't a regular injury, it was ice. Black ice. It was frostbite. Immediately, guilt wrapped around Jack's throat, constricting his breathing as he raised his eyes back up to Tooth's. The Fairy was wincing, as if bracing herself for what was to come. And come, it did. Jack's voice gushed forward at once, apologetic beyond words that could try and describe the feeling. "Oh my goodness, Tooth." He said with a panicked expression. "I-I'm so sorry. I wasn't….I didn't mean for that to happen." He started to reach out with one of his shaking arms, trying to make a grab for the girl's arm. "Here- let me fix it." He pleaded, watching with alarm as Tooth got up from the chair quickly, stumbling out of his reach. Her face showed signs of what he himself was feeling: panic, hurt, and overall a sense of being at a loss for what to do. "I promise, I'll fix it, Tooth." Jack pressed. "I didn't mean it in the first place, come on."

When she still didn't move, Jack started to get up himself. "Just- hang on. Wait there." He pushed his arms back behind himself, planting them flush against the mattress as he strained, pushing upwards and forcing his battered body into motion. Tooth started with alarm as Jack started to push himself up, eyes widening as she sprang into the air with a sudden jolt. She reached out quickly, mouth agape as Jack actually managed to get himself to sit up. It was a moment before she could get over her surprise, and when she finally did, her voice came out in a startled shriek.

"Jack! Stop!" Tooth said in a rush. "You'll reopen your wounds!" She could already tell by the creased look overcoming the teen's face that it was beyond agony for him to get up to his feet. But Jack was stubborn and fixated. Without giving himself a moment to second guess himself, he swung his legs over the bedside, planting his feet on the ground and throwing his weight forward. The movement caused him to let out a sharp scream, Jack not even able to support himself as he immediately buckled forward. Tooth jolted, wings snapping into motion as she swooped herself forward, reaching out with her arms and bracing herself for impact.

For the second time in a row, she caught Jack in her arms, straining underneath the weight as she halted his trip an inch off of the ground. Gasping, she hoisted the boy back up to his feet, moving over so that she could act as his crutch. Jack leaned against her side gratefully, closing his eyes tightly and swaying back and forth with a sudden dizzy spell. Tooth tensed as some of his brown hair hung over in front of his eyes, the Fairy lashing out and brushing them away before he could open his eyes and see. "It's okay." She said quickly, Jack perking blearily as he twisted his head to look at her. She sighed at his look, backing up and helping him back down to sit on the edge of the bed. "It's fading already, it'll be fine in a few hours. It'll fix itself."

Jack still looked put out as he sat beside her. "But I could fix it, Tooth." He pointed out. "If I was the one who-"

"You weren't the one that did it." Tooth blurted out, immediately cursing herself mentally as she clamped her mouth shut. Jack raised his eyebrows at this, looking almost skeptical as he stared at her. The Fairy inhaled slowly, letting out it out just as sluggishly as she started to wring her hands together out of habit. The movement did not go unobserved by Jack, the boy's expression of doubt only increasing at this. He knew she did that when she got nervous; now he knew for a fact that something was wrong. Tooth's coral eyes flashed over to the closed door, swallowing uneasily. _I'm sorry. _She thought, both to the others, and to Jack. "…It was Pitch." She mumbled, fussing with her feathers now as she switched habits rapidly. She kept her eyes down as she elaborated, Jack having to lean in closer to hear her. "He caught me right before I was able to get through North's portal to get back here."

"But…that's not…" Jack's forehead creased, an awkward smile spreading over his face as he pointed lamely down at her hand. "That's not nightmare sand." He pointed out, looking at the wound a little closer just to make sure. "That's ice." Tooth winced, but did not object to his reasoning. She had hoped that she wouldn't be the one to break the news. She had hoped it would be somebody else, maybe North. She had wanted to be the shoulder to cry on afterwards, not the bearer of bad news. She felt horrible, going forward and knowing that she would very well destroy Jack's smile because of this. When she didn't say anything, Jack dropped his arm, not even reacting to the pain that flared up his limb from the action. "I said that's _ice_." He repeated, sounding almost angry by now. He gave her another chance to correct him. But she didn't. "Pitch doesn't control ice." Jack said slowly, as if talking to someone like Sophie or Jamie rather than a fellow Guardian. "_I_ do."

Tooth closed her eyes tightly, looking away.

Jack looked around, hand going in to press painfully against his side as he tried to hold himself together. "Where's my staff?" He asked flatly, gaze sweeping the room for his familiar weapon. It wasn't anywhere; it wasn't leaning against the wall, or laying discarded on the ground, even. It unnerved him. He never went anywhere without his staff if he could help it. Did somebody else have it? Were they fixing it up? Wasn't it broken the last time he'd seen it…? He turned to Tooth questioningly. "Do you have it somewhere else?" He asked meekly.

"…No." Tooth whispered. "We- we don't have it here, Jack."

Jack became still, eyes slowly going back down to her wrist. But then his eyes hardened, and he suddenly looked around Tooth instead of to her. His eyes landed on the curtained windows, fists clenching tightly in his lap as his nails dug into the palms. "What's out there?" He asked, surprising Tooth as she followed his line of vision. "Why is the window covered?"

"Now what would make you think of-"

"Open the window." He snapped, leaving her no room for argument.

The Fairy got to her feet slowly, looking from the window, to Jack. Fidgeting uncomfortably for a moment, she started over to the other side of the room, footsteps echoing in the new silence adopted between them. Jack heard something that he hadn't before, thanks to his focusing in on Tooth. The wind was howling outside. It was harder to hear now, but it was certainly storming outside. Jack didn't guess that it was a thunderstorm; after all, there wasn't the sounds of rain or thunder. It was just wind. Which left only one kind of storm left on the grid. But that wasn't…

Tooth's shoulders hunched as she grabbed the edges of the curtains, and she threw a small glance back over at Jack. "I'm sorry." She managed weakly, Jack's forehead furrowing at the words. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped mid-breath as the Fairy tugged backwards, revealing what was behind the drapes. Revealing what tried to be hidden from him.

It was black outside; a sickly mesh of the colors gray, yellow, and black painting a horrid masterpiece across the sky. Ash rained down from the sky in heavy gusts, gray and black smudges littering the glass of the windowpane like somebody had scribbled across it with permanent marker. Jack's mouth fell open with shock and horror at the sight, the teen feeling like he was looking at something straight out of a horror movie. The ash…no…that was… "Is that…snow?" Jack asked emptily, turning and looking at Tooth with a look that closely resembled that of a lost puppy.

Tooth closed her eyes tightly, as if unable to look at him directly. "Pitch has them now, Jack." She said tensely, voice having a broken sort of ring to it. "He has your powers."

Immediately, the teen flinched backwards, as if slapped clear across the face. He nearly fell over at the words, catching himself at the last moment as he fought to stay upright. He looked wildly from the weather outside, to Tooth, trying to wrap his mind around the situation as fast as he could. But his urgency only caused his breathing to quicken, bandages scratching against his skin painfully as his chest heaved up and down. "That's not…no….I can't….that's…" He searched for words, but he came up empty. He only stared at the ash outside, at the black hail raining down from the sky, and felt the first few lashes of fear strike across his heart. It stung like a whip, and it stole his breath away as he suddenly found himself unable to breathe.

Tooth gasped sharply, making a move to get closer to him. But Jack managed to speak around his heaves, holding his chest in anguish as he looked at her with wide eyes. "A mirror." He breathed out breathlessly, the Fairy straightening with surprise at the odd request. When she didn't move, he repeated it once more, voice grating against his windpipe. "A mirror!" He yelled sharply, the Fay jumping out of her skin. "Get a mirror!"

"Jack, I think you need to calm down before-"

"Go!" He shouted, shutting his eyes tightly and ducking his head as his shoulders shook up and down. He felt the bed shaking like there was an earthquake, the room spinning like a top around him. What was happening? He looked down at his hands, realizing things that he hadn't before, and making connections. The way that his skin wasn't as pale as it normally was, the way that he couldn't see as well, the way his hearing wasn't as sharp as it used to be, and the pain that ripped through him so easily. They were all completely different from things that he was used to. But…how had Pitch done it? The stab wounds seemed to come alive against his skin, twitching and stinging underneath the white gauze that held the boy together as best it could. He'd stabbed Jack with his own weapon…but surely that wasn't the only factor. Was it that he was just that powerful? Or was it that Jack hadn't put up enough of a fight?

Or maybe it was because he wasn't a good Guardian.

Maybe the Man on the Moon regretted his decision to making Jack immortal in the first place.

Maybe he'd taken it back because Jack was so useless.

"Here." Tooth said, voice suddenly right by his ear. Her voice was a little winded, as if she had just flown around the entire Workshop in a matter of moments. But Jack didn't acknowledge her efforts, twisting painfully around and looking at the object held in Toothiana's hands. The mirror shook back and forth in her nervous hands, a tremor of anxiousness traveling up and down the Fay as she watched the boy carefully. But Jack wasn't even aware of the movements, too trained in on the person that stared back at him. Because…it wasn't him. Not at all.

The person that stared back at him was scared. Their brown eyes were wide and frightened, pleading with Jack to help them before they fell apart on themselves. They were trembling from head to toe, shaking like a wet dog in a pathetic-looking manner. There were bandages all over the person, covering them nearly as much as normal clothes did for normal people. A large bandage was right over their right eyebrow, white gauze wrapped around their torso like they were some kind of mummy. They were wrapped tightly around Jack's wrists, the other side of the bandages already dyed a light pink as blood seeped through their layers. The boy's brown hair hung down low in their face, nearly blending in with their eyes as it bent underneath the weight of gravity. Slowly, the person's shoulders started to heave as they continued to look back at him, and tears started to leak out from their brown eyes, trailing down their cheeks.

"That's not me." Jack sobbed, unable to turn away from the ugly sight in front of him.

Tooth swallowed painfully. "I think it is." She said regretfully.

Jack doubled over, reaching up and pressing the palms of his hands tightly into his eyes, as if trying to push them back inside of his skull. "No." He begged sorrowfully, reaching up and fisting his hands tightly into his brown hair. "No, no, no!" He yelled, pulling on the locks, trying to rid himself of them in any way possible. "This can't be happening!" He howled. "I was going to save everybody! I was going to help Jamie! This wasn't supposed to happen!"

"Nobody ever means for these things to happen." Tooth offered softly.

"Then why does it?" Jack sobbed, turning and looking at her despairingly. "How are we supposed to keep fighting when nothing works?"

Tooth leaned forward quickly, reaching out and folding her arms tightly around Jack's neck. She made sure to stay away from the wounds as best she could, ducking her head and pressing her forehead against his shoulder as she buried her face into her friend. Jack didn't return the embrace, but melted into it gratefully, closing his eyes tightly and feeling the burning hot water drip down his face.

"It'll be okay." Tooth comforted him desperately. "It'll all be okay."

Jack didn't reply.

"Do you hear me?" She pressed tightly. "It'll all get better. I promise."

She didn't know if she was assuring him, or herself.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

A/N: I hope you liked this chapter! And appreciate this fast update! ;)

It's actually like one in the morning right now…I'm so tired right now, guyz.

I hope I did good on this chapter! I'm not too sure about it….. O-o

Please go vote on my poll! A few people already have, but I'd really like feedback from more than a few people. And it'll only take like five seconds to do, so it's not too much of a waste lol ^^


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Have you all ever heard of a youtuber by the name of Julian Smith? You need to search up the video 'Everything's Okay Now.' Cause I think it sums up this chapter pretty well XDD

Jamie: :D…..D:

Jack: -dashes in- DID YOU HAVE A BAD DREAM!?

Jamie: YES. BUT EVERTYHING'S OKAY NOW!

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

"I still don't think this is a good idea." Tooth murmured a little fretfully, eyes worried as she hovered anxiously at the boy's side. She paused a moment, looking the form up and down critically for a heartbeat, lips pursed. But then she shook her head back and forth firmly, adding: "At all." Jack stood shakily in front of her, staggering and wavering in his stride as he propped himself up with the bedside table. His brown eyes flashed angrily at the tone in her voice, which was of a certain kind of pity, or remorse. Which couldn't be too far from the truth, actually. Looking at Jack now, shoulders hunched and eyes bleak with exhaustion, Tooth couldn't help but remember the way he had been before. So lively and excited. Now, it looked as if he couldn't walk a few feet without keeling over on the spot. "You're not strong enough, yet, Jack." She went on, voice tight and anxious. "You really should just rest a little bit more. We can do this later."

But Jack just shook his head quickly, cheeks puffing out with concentration as he staggered upright. He straightened himself as best he could, grimacing as his stomach bent out on itself. He drew his shoulders back firmly, waiting a moment as the pain started to ebb away. When it did, he took in a sharp breath before managing to speak. "Nah." He puffed. "I'm fine. I wanna go see what's going on out there." He looked at Tooth a little sharply as he spoke, and the fairy got the feeling that he thought she was hiding more things from him. Which she was, so the thought wasn't too far off from the truth, in hindsight. But it still made her upset at the thought of Jack not trusting her. She was the one who was trying to help Jack the most, at the moment.

"…Right." She managed, an expression of hurt creasing itself over her face as she looked at Jack painfully. "Well, I don't really know where they are right now." She didn't have to specify who she was talking about; it was obvious to the both of them who Jack wanted to see, and why. "Why don't I go out and get them? That way, I can bring them here." The statement came out a little bit more hopeful than she meant for it to be, the Fay wincing inwardly at the tone of her voice. If she were able to get out there before Jack could, she could warn the others on what was happening. On what Jack knew right now, and what they'd be better off not telling him. He had enough to deal with now, and he was only just coming to terms with the fact that he wasn't a Guardian anymore. If they took the news that North and Bunny were planning, and threw it into the mix, it would screw everything up.

But Jack only bristled at the idea, as Tooth was expecting him to do. "Tooth." He growled, starting to lose patience with her as he felt anger start to color his face a pale red. "I'm not made of glass. Let me do what I want, okay?" The fairy opened her mouth to respond, but merely ducked her head, loosing her words and becoming quiet. Jack sighed, expression sobering as he scolded himself mentally. _She's just upset. _He thought, forcing himself to relax. _Don't be too hard on her. You're starting to look like a jerk, you know that? _Knowing that he'd have to keep himself in check, and risking yelling out again, Jack spoke up once more. "Could you help me?" He asked reluctantly, feeling his face flush somewhat as he reached out a hand to her, keeping the other firmly holding himself up against the table. "I don't think I can make it alone." He muttered rather ungraciously.

Since his clothes had been torn up during his fight, (if you could call it that) he'd had to wear new ones. He'd woken up in them, considering he was too wounded to try and mess with the movements himself. In avoiding the puzzlement and repulsion of somebody else changing him into new clothes, he'd busied himself with other thoughts. Such as the fact that whoever did do the task had no taste in clothes. At all. He was wearing baggy jeans, which was probably a size too big on him in the first place. And he wore a just-as-loose black hoodie on top of that. They were probably loose in the deciding factor that if he were to tear open a wound, they would be easy to slip off in order to treat the wound quicker. When he had first noticed the costume change on him, Tooth had assured him that it wouldn't be for long. That the Yetis were in the process of re-making his old clothes just the way they had been before. But still, that was a long time ago. And he was still wearing these clothes.

Pushing the irritating fact out of his mind, Jack looked at Tooth expectantly, waiting for her to agree. It was clear from the look on his face that he wasn't going to be swayed by Tooth's objections, no matter how frequent they were. The Fairy sighed listlessly, shoulders drooping a little at the firm look on the boy's face. But then she gave a small smile, shaking her head a little as she did so. "Fine." She sighed, her startlingly-white teeth gleaming as she flitted closer to the teen. "I see there isn't any reasons in trying to get to you to calm down."

"Nope." Jack quipped, the tense feeling pushing down on his shoulders starting to lift as the Fairy stood on his other side. He leaned to the side, extending his arm and looping it over her neck. Tooth braced herself against him, wrapping her arm around his side and using the other to hang onto his hand as she started forward. Jack limped after her, wincing every so often as they made for the door in a slow, lumbering gait. ".. .thanks." Jack mumbled after a moment, watching as Tooth leaned forward to open the door.

The Tooth Fairy hesitated, hand wrapped around the bronze handle as she stared straight forward. But then she let go of Jack, twisting herself out of his embrace so that she could stand in front of the boy. Her pink eyes were sad once again as she regarded him, though they were also thoughtful at the same time. "You know…" She said, trailing off somewhat as she tilted her head to the side. Jack perked at the words, eyebrows bunching up with confusion, and causing the gashes across his face to flex and sting. But he paid no heed to it, merely looking at her a little oddly as she went on a little awkwardly. "You don't have to feel bad about it." She said, not addressing the subject of her words head-on. "We're still in this together; it doesn't matter whether you're a Guardian or not. You're still our friend. We can help you through it." Her hands started to wring together anxiously as she spoke, unnatural pauses finding their way into her voice more and more the farther she went.

Jack blinked. "I know." He said blandly.

_Are you sure? _The question went through Tooth's mind, but she bit it back as quickly as she could. She didn't want to aggravate the boy any more than she already had. She could tell that she was starting to get on his nerves, and she was almost getting on _her own _nerves, if that was even possible. She just couldn't live and let die, she had to start learning that skill. Because it seemed like that was all Jack was trying to do at the moment. And though the fact was known that after the shock of the whole situation passed, Jack would be slammed with the full force of what had happened. And then he would most certainly want to get back at Pitch in some way, or get revenge for what had happened. But right now, he was just trying to struggle down the worries and problems that this new change had introduced, and Tooth wasn't helping with her incessant bringing up of the situation.

"Right." Tooth said immediately, voice going light and breezy almost reflexively. "Okay." She turned and opened the door, face growing warm as she fumbled with the lock for a moment. Jack's forehead creased at her suddenly-sloppy movements, and he watched with an awkward sense of amusement as Tooth finally managed to wrench the thing open. Turning swiftly, she went back to the injured boy's side, taking his arm back over her neck for support as she started to lead the way out of the room. Though reluctantly, she let Jack start to walk down the hallway, towards the Globe Room. Hopefully from there, they might be able to find the others. "Sorry." She huffed, wincing and staggering underneath Jack's new weight as he leaned against her. "I'm not as good a flyer as I used to be."

Jack's brown eyes flashed at the words, looking down to the Fairy's dull feathers that were clinging to her skin. Once brightly-colored, they were now pale versions of their old shades. Grays and whites mixed in with pale greens and purples, she looked like a monochromatic version of her old self. She wasn't as bright or flamboyant now. She was subtle and quiet in her wake. And that was really disturbing. In more ways than one. But he kept his mouth shut, only taking her words to heart as he tried to support himself a little bit more on his unsteady legs. Hobbling close to the fairy's side, taking in her strained posture and gray feathers, Jack couldn't help but think:

We're losing.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

They found the others in the kitchen. The Guardians were sitting together in a tight knit, eyes somewhat worried as they sat together at the same table. They murmured amongst one another, sounding as if they were talking about possible plans. They were so close together, they obscured the other end of the table, so Jack didn't think too much about it. Instead, he stiffened a little bit as he looked at the others, realizing with a jolt that he wasn't sure about all of this. This was the first time he'd actually been in conscious contact with the other Guardians after what had happened. And he was mentally cursing himself for just now thinking about that fact.

Tooth tightened her hold on his hand, trying to support him both mentally and physically. But it was too late for Jack to back out of the situation either way. North had been talking, gesturing with his hands wildly, the way he always did whenever he was talking about something important. But as he twisted to the right a little bit, Jack was accidentally finding himself in his peripheral vision. The teen flinched a little as the Russian stiffened, whirling around in his chair to look back at him fully. The legs of the furniture screeched against the floor as he moved, and it gave an unsteady wobble back and forth. The commotion was enough to draw the others' attention to where North was looking, Sandy and Bunny stiffening at the prospect of danger. But their tensed-up forms went slack at once as they too saw what had caused North to act so surprised.

The room went absolutely silent as all eyes went to the boy. Even the Yetis seemed to work quieter as they sensed something had changed in atmosphere. Tooth sighed softly, closing her eyes and biting her lower lip as she started to feel the tension that was settling over the dining room. North blinked rapidly, mouth halfway open as he stared at Jack with shock. As if he had forgotten what had happened to the teenager. "…Jack…" He managed, voice stunned, to say the least. "…You're up…" He trailed off, unsure of how to voice his thoughts.

Jack gave the man a dry smile, which didn't meet his eyes. "Surprised?" He asked blandly, trying to get a little humor into his tone as best he could. But his eyes strayed almost inevitably so that they rested on the person that made Jack's skin start to crawl immediately. Bunny. Unable to help himself, Jack's eyes narrowed angrily at the sight of the rabbit, hold tightening on Tooth's hand as anger started to burn underneath his skin. The Fairy's face fell even more at the boy's reaction, but Jack didn't even try and hold himself back. His mouth suddenly acquired a mind of its own, and he found himself speaking up before he could stop himself. "Some people a little more than others." He said frostily.

Bunny rolled his eyes, opening his mouth to reply. But North immediately flared, shooting up to his feet with a sudden glare. Jack jerked backwards at the sudden change, eyes widening considerably as the Russian turned to look at both Jack and Bunnymund with a stern look. "No." He said after a moment of stunned silence. "We are _not _doing this." He snapped firmly. "This is exactly what we don't need." He looked back and forth between Jack and Bunny, who were still looking a little sourly over in one another's direction. "In time like this, we must stick together. Otherwise we will give in to exactly what Pitch is trying to accomplish."

"Well, what do ya suppose we do, then?" Bunny grumbled a little angrily. "We're running out of time, belief, and now we're running out of people." The last part was added a little more sharply, the rabbit glancing over with a barbed expression towards Jack. The brown-haired teen scowled darkly at the words, a little irritation mixing with a hot flush of fury. Despite the fact that he didn't want anyone's pity, Bunny seemed to be completely ignoring what happened! Even if that was partly what Jack wanted…he didn't know. The fact that Bunnymund could look over something huge like this happening to him so easily…it made him feel a little…underappreciated? He couldn't find the word.

"We have to work around it, Bunny." Tooth said flatly, coming to Jack's rescue as she answered for him. "We've gotten out of situations like this before; this is the same deal right now. We just…" She trailed off a moment, blanching as she tried to grasp for words. "…haven't been putting up a good enough effort." She said swiftly, brightening considerably as she landed on the explanation. "Even if the lights on the Globe are going out, we can still make them light up again! We've done it before!"

"We had to get another Guardian to deal with it last time." Bunny growled in response. "We couldn't deal with it on our own. What're we supposed to do now that our back-up back-fired?"

"He didn't back-fire." Tooth growled, tightening up as the rabbit went on.

"Really now?" Bunny drawled.

"Can I say something?" Jack asked flatly, eyes flashing with a hint of irritation.

"Jack tried to save everyone-"

"He went out against us!" Bunny objecting, pointing a finger at her almost accusingly. "I told the kid that he shouldn't do it, and he did it anyway! He should have known better. Guardians don't go off willy-nilly all alone to try and do their own thing; we work together as a group. If the kid doesn't get that, he obviously doesn't deserve to be one himself."

Tooth's dull feathers bristled, some of them tumbling down to the ground from the movement. "You're so insensitive."

"Stop!" North thundered, trying to interject between the two. Sandy watched the scene with a small grimace, the yellow Guardian quickly drawing up a small model of what looked to be the Globe. He pointed at it with a slightly frightened look, looking alarmed as he demonstrated the lights going out rapidly. If that was accurate, it looked like a lot of the lights were going out much faster than they had when Jack was last present and at hand.

The thought was enough to send the teen reeling, and he had to bite back the fear that crawled in his throat. And as he watched the other fight around him, he realized that things were a lot worse than he had first feared. So, cue the factors that were wrong in this situation. For one: he had been stupid and careless. Bunny was right when he blamed Jack for what happened, because it was mostly his fault in the first place. He'd been upset about Jamie…he'd been clouded by his anger and desperation. How could he ever have thought himself to be a good match for Pitch before he got a sense of how strong the man really was? Now, he was without powers, and just another burden added on to everything else the others were dealing with right now. Unable to help, and powerless to do much of anything at all, the only thing that Jack could do now was sit beside the window and watch bleakly as the black snow rained down to the ground, wondering how the Guardians would fix the mess he created.

And yet that was another issue. The Guardians themselves weren't capable. They were fighting. And from what it looked like right now, they were doing it a lot. That shouldn't happen…ever. Yeah, every now and then, Jack would see a few snippets of argument exchanged between the others from time to time. Like if one of Tooth's Helpers accidentally woke up a child from a dream that Sandy was crafting for them. Or if North's elves wound up in the Burrow and destroyed a few eggs. But those were practical all problems that were in need of being sorted out; the arguments were thoughtful, and they usually got resolved before Jack could start to be entertained in the fight.

This kind of fighting was just uncalled for. Every single little thing that Bunny did seemed to rub Tooth the wrong direction. The two went at one another like a dog did a cat, and that was just from what Jack was picking up right now. He'd never seen so much anger in the Fay's eyes before, save for when she was facing something like a naughty child, or even Pitch. But now she was looking at a fellow Guardian in almost the same way, as if she couldn't stand to be around him for less than five minutes without blowing her top. And Bunny glared just as sharply back at her, fuming as he shot back retorts to her attacks. North was trying to be the peacemaker, obviously, but he wasn't succeeding at all. In trying to raise his voice over the two, he just sounded like he was yelling. And the more the pair ignored him, the more frustrated he became; therefore, he couldn't go long without losing patience either.

And that left Sandy: the actual peacemaker. It was standard issue, it seemed, for the quiet man to be the one to try and settle the others. But even he wasn't doing so hot in swaying them to his favor of calming down. It was like when you tried to stomp out flames; no matter how hard you pounded against it, the embers would quickly ignite themselves all over again. You could repeat the process over and over, and it may even work to subdue the flames for a moment in time. But it would always come back. It was uncontrollable.

"If you would think of anybody but yourself for once…" Tooth flared.

"What?" Bunny asked rhetorically. "Being nice isn't going to solve things! Not this time! When will you all realize it?" North opened his mouth to say something, but bit it back wisely, trying to keep himself at bay for as long as he could. Tooth's wings were going a million miles an hour, which was actually pretty impressive for how low she was belief-wise. She looked like she could race a million times around the workshop and not break a single sweat. Which was more than Jack could do, the boy giving a rather-tired grimace as he leaned back against the wall.

"We're Guardians." Tooth recited firmly. "We guard the children of the world. We _spread _cheer and happiness. We-"

"Look at where it's gotten us, Mate." Bunny snapped.

"I-"

"**Shut up!**" Jack screamed suddenly, chest aching with pain as he took in a large gasp of air. His voice rang throughout the entire room, and the others stopped in their argument abruptly as they turned with wide eyes. The brown-haired teen leaned heavily against the wall now, as if the shout had sapped his energy. But his eyes were twin balls of fire, making up for his physical weakness with mental strength. Though exhausted from his trek that took him here, Jack's voice was steady as he spoke out, deciding to keep going before they erupted on one another again.

"Look." He snapped sharply, voice like flint as he looked sternly from one Guardian to another. "…I'm out of commission right now." He said firmly, stating facts as they were. North stiffened slightly at the words, eyes flashing as he took in Jack's slouched figure, but the boy didn't catch the odd look. Instead, he pointed accusingly forward. "You all are Earth's last hope. You're the only thing standing between peace, or utter chaos." Tooth winced a little at this, biting her lower lip a little guiltily. "And you're not living up to your title right about now.

"The Man on the Moon chose all of you because he knew that you'd be able to do things others couldn't. That you could take this situations, and say: 'Whatever.' He knew that you all could work together and find a solution to save the children, no matter what the cause of the problem was. And right now, standing and arguing back and forth like a band of old people, you're really disappointing him!" Jack's eyes flashed over to Bunny, the boy inhaling and exhaling slowly before he said anything else. "I may not know as much as you all do about being a Guardian." He said finally, voice cracking a little. "But I do know that we can't let these kids down. Because they're counting on us…" He paused a moment before closing his eyes, correcting himself. "…you all…" He fixed.

Silence reigned for a moment, nobody speaking up after his words. But finally Tooth slowly nodded her head. "Jack is right." She murmured, sounding ashamed in herself. She glanced over at Bunnymund, drooping a little as she stared at him. "I'm sorry, Bunny." She sighed listlessly. "I guess I'm just…worried…and confused. We just have to work with what we have. And try to make the best of what's going on around here." Though as she spoke, it seemed as though she was already stacking the odds against herself, thinking of all the obstacles to overcome. And it looked like the others were doing the same thing. Swallowing back a flash of frustration, Jack shook his head quickly.

"Just look at the bright side." He suggested, finding it ironic that he would be the one to comfort the others. "That's all it takes. If you guys think about what Pitch has done, and only focus on that, then yeah, you have no chance against him." Tooth felt a flash of sadness as he changed words like 'we' and 'us' to 'you.' It was like he was already trying to face the fact that he couldn't be of much help to them. The thought was enough to rip her heart to pieces. Looking at him now, giving assurance to them when he was the one that truly needed it, he looked like everything a Guardian should be. The perfect picture of what a Guardian truly stands for. And yet it wasn't enough for Manny.

"Your centers aren't based off 'depression' or 'anxiety.'" Jack said flatly. "They're based off of cheer, happiness, and hope. If you lose sight of those yourselves, how can you even think of spreading it throughout the world? You're beating a dead horse when you fight against yourselves. You're trying to do something that's already been done, and that's weakening yourselves. Unless you want to move on with this, and try to get somewhere, go ahead and keep hitting the horse. But when it's too late, you'll find out that it was all for nothing."

He hesitated, then: "I learned the lesson the hard way. I'm trying not to let it happen to you."

North opened his mouth to reply, eyes already softer than they had been a moment before. But when he did so, he stopped, surprise lighting his eyes as he looked off to the side of Jack. He looked caught off-guard, and maybe a little angered at the same time. The others followed his gazes curiously, craning their necks as they looked the way he was. They, too, looked almost stunned. Forehead creasing with confusion, Jack started to twist back so that he could see what was causing them all to get side-tracked. He was only going to say this whole spiel once. But a small voice spoke up, catching his attention and answering his puzzlement before he could even voice it.

"…Hello?" The voice asked, hesitant in its wake.

Gasping sharply, Jack managed to push himself off the wall for a brief moment as he turned around. Going in a tight circle, when the boy's back was to the Guardians, he fell back into the wall once more. He grimaced at the pain the slam took, but he pushed it away roughly as he forced himself to concentrate. And as Jack caught on to what was going on, his face split open into a wide smile, eyes lighting up at once. Sophie stood in the doorway of the kitchen, eyes big and round as she looked at the fighting knot of people.

"Sophie!" Jack said happily, voice cracking as he felt his chest start to burn in an entirely different way.

The little girl's brow furrowed, and she tilted her head to the side. Her gaze was thoughtful, her eyes traveling up and down Jack as she frowned uncertainly. Slowly, Jack's grin faded, the boy tilting his head to the side rather desperately. "Sophie." He said, aware of how dull and lifeless his voice was at the moment. Clearing his throat with a grimace, he tried again. "Squirt, it's me!" The usage of her old nickname seemed to be the last piece of the puzzle, and Jack watched with a wave of relief as recognition flowed through the girl's expression.

"Jack?" She asked, still a little unbalanced.

The boy nodded earnestly, beaming. Tooth looked between the two, expression sad before she shot an angered glare in North's direction. But the man deliberately avoided her gaze, instead looking carefully at Jack. He looked a little scared as he took in the boy's hunched figure, or the way that he seemed to wince a little bit whenever he spoke. Though the signals were troubling in their own way, it felt like a slap in the face to North, and he knew that his worst fears were slowly coming true. Though he didn't know much about what was happening, since this was the first time something like this has happened, he knew one thing for certain now. They were running out of time.

A large smile spread over Sophie's mouth, and she let out a loud cheer. Throwing her arms out to her sides, the girl dashed forward, her toy Giraffe trailing after her as it flopped wildly in her left hand. Jack's eyes widened considerably at the movement, and as Sophie got closer, Tooth thought she could see a little wince tugging at the edges of Jack's lips. But if it was there, it vanished quickly as the teen slid heavily down the wall, crouching down and bracing himself for impact. Reaching out, he caught Sophie as best he could, trying to make it so that her full weight didn't crash into him. But it went unsuccessful as he was nearly knocked right over, letting out a choked noise as he caught himself painfully. Startled, Tooth tried to go forward, reaching out with one hand in an offer to help Jack somehow. But he waved her off quickly, not even glancing back at her as he righted himself, taking in rather sharp breaths.

But the factors went unnoticed to Sophie. She merely locked her arms around Jack's neck in a tight embrace, giggling with the sheer joy she had at having her Guardian back with her. But suddenly she drew back, looking at Jack critically and tilting her head rather cutely. "What's wrong with your hair?" She asked. "And your eyes." She reached over, poking his right eye as if to emphasize her words. Thankfully, Jack guessed what she was going to do before she did it, closing the eye and only smiling as she prodded at it.

Laughing a little, Jack's smile slowly wavering, feeling his face start to grow warm as he looked down at Sophie. His stomach twisted into little knots as he stared at her hopeful face, feeling his heart slowly start to cave in on itself. His eyes started to burn, and he slowly shook his head, swallowing back the lump in his throat before answering her. "Aw, honey." He choked out, Sophie blinking at the new name. "Haven't you ever heard of hair dye?" He managed.

Sophie's lower lip went into a pout. "Hair Dye?" She echoed, trying out the term on her tongue. But the name seemed to fit with a picture in her mind, clearing her questions quickly. "I guess so." She said finally. "Can you change it back?" She asked.

Jack shook his head, looking genuinely apologetic.

"But I like the white better." She said softly, reaching over and patting her hand lightly on his brown locks.

Jack searched her eyes for a moment, the girl lowering her hand at the stare and blinking back at him innocently. She tightened her hold on the Giraffe in her arms, snuggling it against her chest as she peeked up at the teenager. Overcome with a sudden wave of sadness, Jack reached over quickly, wrapping his arms gently around Sophie and pulling her close. He held her against his wounded chest, closing his eyes and ducking his head into the crease of the little girl's neck and shoulder. He felt a hot burning sting across his eyes, but he ignored it roughly, managing to keep his voice steady. "I'm sorry." He said swiftly. "I should've ran it by you before I did it."

"Ran it by both of us." Sophie corrected him, reaching up and locking her arms around Jack's neck once more. "I dunno what kind of hair Jamie likes, but he isn't gonna like this one. Now you two will look almost the same. Me and my Giraffe'll have to make you two some name-tags. I won't be able to tell you apart." Jack stiffened at the casual statement, blinking rapidly as he narrowed his eyes. He opened his mouth to ask what she was talking about, but then a pair of footsteps echoed from outside in the hall, getting louder as they came closer.

Pushing Sophie away gently, Jack stared intently at the door, each footfall causing another drop of hope to leak into the boy's eyes. The footsteps got to the door, and a figure came into the room, joining the scene that was unfolding inside. Jamie stood at the entrance to the doorway, wringing his hands together and stiffening at the sight of the others. Jack's limbs locked together firmly at the sight of the child, complete and utter shock freezing itself over his face as he stared uncomprehendingly at the child in front of him. It was too good to be true. He expected to wake up from another dream, or for something to shatter apart to even out the scale. Because surely this couldn't be as good as it looked to be.

But nothing happened to break this moment. And as beats of silence passed, Jack realized trait things about Jamie that had not been there before. Subtle things, but noticeable to Jack. Like the way that Jamie seemed permanently tensed, shoulders locked backwards and hands slightly clenched where he stood. His eyes, which had been so light and carefree before, were now heavy and weighted down. Dark cirlces traced the bottom of his eyelids. A certain red tinge rimmed over the boy's eyes, creating the illusion of tears, even though his face was dry. There was a small tremor going through his shaky figure, making the boy look almost guarded. And at the sight of Jack, he took a small step backwards. Jack's smile was dashed immediately at the movement, eyes rounding out with hurt.

Sophie blinked, looking between the two boys for a moment, as if contemplating her actions. Then she turned, hopping over to her brother and peering close to his face, easily popping his personal bubble. As Sophie pressed her nose against his, Jamie jumped, as if the rather slow movement had surprised him. "Hey!" Sophie chirped happily, reaching over and grabbing onto her older brother's wrist. "C'mon!" She egged him. "Come see Jack! He's been worried 'bout you! While you were asleep, he went willy-nilly all over the entire world! It was awesome!"

Jamie stared at Jack, trailing slowly after his sister as she toted him along. Pulling him like a train would another car, Sophie guided him all the way back over to Jack, unaware of the tension as she chugged along. "Be nice, Jamie!" She chastised firmly, coming to a stop a few feet away from Jack. The teenager's face was shadowed with unimaginable pain, both from his injuries, and now because of the way that Jamie was looking at him. He looked…scared. And lost. And unsure. All of which were things that were in entire contrasts to what he had been before now. "Mommy always tells us not to ignore people." Sophie said, voice sharper by now. "Especially not our friends!"

"Jamie?" Jack asked hesitantly, ignoring Sophie's words as he looked anxiously at the child that he had fought so long to try and protect. He'd sat by his bedside each night, blue eyes heavy as he tried to comfort him in any way he could. He could stroke his hair back in an attempt to brush away the nightmares, or tell him soft-worded stories in hopes of him hearing them, and realizing that things could get better. He'd looked down at the weaker, and he had been subdued.

And now the tables were flipped.

Slowly, like a robot, Jamie took his hand away from Sophie's, letting it fall back to his side for a moment. Red-rimmed eyes searched Jack's own, and the boy looked over the changes in Jack. He was older than Sophie, and able to see the things that she could not. Like the stooped pressure in Jack's shoulders, or the bandages that were poking out from underneath his clothes. Or the pain that was written across his features. A little hint of fear began to spread in the boy as he looked at the so-called Guardian, mouth opening and closing in a silent form of speech.

"Jamie, it's me." Jack said brokenly.

Jamie still remained immobile.

Tooth couldn't stand watching this anymore. She turned swiftly, doing her best to fly over to North as quickly as she could. Puffing with the effort it took, the Fairy flitted anxiously at his side. "What are you doing?" She hissed through clenched teeth. North tore his gaze off of Jack, looking almost confused as he turned around to face her. But she just rolled her eyes at the expression, throwing out an arm to point down at the trio. "This is too sad to watch." She snapped. "Jack's not ready for this, and neither is Jamie! You know how he's been these past few days! We have to make sure that he's fully recovered before he gets close to Jack! He might be remembering one of his nightmares right now!" Her voice was a whisper, but in her anger, it came out more as a quiet scream.

But North only lifted a hand, reaching over and having his palm face the Fay dismissively. Tooth bristled, feathers tumbling off of her sides at the movement. But before she could get a few sharp words out to him, the man spoke quietly, eyes narrowed with concentration. "Wait." He said lowly, watching with a renewed sense of interested. Pressing her lips tightly together in a line, Tooth turned back to watch as well, not speaking as she glared straight forward.

"Jamie, trust me." Jack pleaded. "It's me. Everything is okay now."

Even Bunny looked subdued by this.

Jack stared at Jamie desperately, practically begging him to do anything other than stand there. Glancing over at Sophie, Jamie bit his lower lip, looking from one to the other. Cautiously, the boy edged forward, reaching out with his right hand shakily. Like one would do when trying to pet a cat that was already spitting mad, his arm extended like a snail's. But Jack didn't move, only straightening somewhat so that he could see what the kid was doing. Fingers flattening out, Jamie reached out with a flat palm, eyes watching Jack carefully, as if to make sure that the boy teenager didn't suddenly leap on him.

But Jack was a statue, watching silently as Jamie finally made contact. Pressing his hand down on Jack's chest, Jamie held his hand right over the spot where Jack's heart was, waiting patiently. Sure enough, the thrum of life beat a steady rhythm back to him; his hand didn't go through the body like mist, and Jack didn't grab him as soon as he made contact. The teen's eyes just softened, misting over as he looked at Jamie with a tender expression. "It's me." He repeated, voice much more soothing this time around.

Jamie blinked, looking up from his hand to Jack's face. He was still for a while, not doing much of anything. But then his face scrunched up, nose crinkling and eyes closing tightly as he ducked his head. Tears streamed down the little child's face, and his shoulders shook with the effort of his sobs. Before Jack could try to comfort him, he threw his weight forward, wrapping his arms tightly around Jack and burrowing his face painfully into the older one's chest. But the irritation to his wounds went unnoticed, Jack leaning down and grabbing tight to both Jamie and Sophie.

"I missed you." Jamie cried, hands fisting tightly into Jack's shirt.

"I know." Jack whispered. "It'll be okay now."

Jamie let out a small whimper. "Promise?" He asked meekly.

Jack held the two tighter to himself, closing his eyes tightly. "I promise you." He vowed.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

He'd counted the number twice…three times. The number of lights left on the Globe was startling; horrifying, in fact. Two hundred. Two hundred little flickering lights left on the Globe, signifying those children who were staying true to the Guardians. Out of the seven billion people in the world…the number two hundred was like a slap in the face. North stood tense at his desk, eyes desolate and bleak as he stared at the Earth dully. He'd done everything. He'd balanced the rotation, he'd sent a Yeti up to make sure there weren't any mechanical errors. But the number always came up the same.

Two hundred.

"Hey." A quiet voice sounded from behind him, and a moment later, Tooth swooped forward. The grayed Fairy looked from him to the Globe, the realization of the situation dawning on her quicker than it did North. "…Don't worry." She said, not waiting for him to reply to her greeting, knowing she probably would get none. She turned, glancing out the window with a grim look. The black snow fogged the window, clotting like sticky ashes against the glass and blotting out the view outside. A symbol of the power that they had lost. "We'll still make it out." She assured him.

North shook his head slowly, turning and looking with concern down at her feathers. "I do not know, Tooth." He sighed heavily. "The future looks…" He followed Tooth's eyes out towards the window. "…pitch black." He finished rather lamely. "We've gotten past scrapes like this before…but this just seems too impossible. Surely Man in Moon would have given us help by now?" Tooth stiffened at the question, but didn't offer any kind of answer. She didn't have any answer.

"It's like Jack said." She said, avoiding the question. "It's up to us. We have to spread cheer. Now, before anything else happens."

"We can't leave Workshop now." North said firmly.

"…Of course we can." Tooth said. "We can just make sure that the kids are guarded by the Yetis. Or we can take them with us! Jack and them might not be…" She trailed off for a moment, leaving her words in the air. "…but they can still spread happiness. They'll be perfectly capable of it in a few days. If we can just buy enough time, I'm sure that we can fix this! Think of what happened last time! Who saved us in the end? Jack and Jamie did. And they can do it again."

But North shook his head.

Tooth soured. "Why not?" She snapped angrily. "Jack isn't made of glass now! Even thought I don't want-"

"Jack is dying!" North interrupted her.

Tooth blinked rapidly, blanching for a moment as she let the words sink in. "No he's not." She blustered. "H-He's recovering! I check his wounds hourly! He's been with Jamie and Sophie all day! He's-"

"He's been immortal for long time." North explained flatly, not letting her finish. "His body isn't able to pick up where it left off." Tooth quieted at this, a horrified look overcoming the fairy's face as confusion tried to battle the conflicting thoughts in her head. "Have you not noticed the way he stands?" North asked, closing his eyes and turning away. "Or the way he walks?"

"…H-He's just getting over his injuries…" Tooth murmured.

North shook his head. "Is he, Tooth?" He asked. "It has been days. I see no improvement."

"…Then what do we do?" Tooth asked, voice much smaller than before.

"The only thing we can do." North grumbled in response, taking in her faded colors with a sour look. "Or at least what we can do right now. We have to try and find Pitch. As soon as possible. Without Jack. We have to find a way to get the boy's powers back. It's our only chance. Pitch is too strong, now, with Jack's powers in hand. And with the way we are, we stand little to no chance. We have to strike now, while Pitch is confused. He does not know the extent of Jack's powers, Tooth. Even Jack does not know himself. If Pitch figures out how far he can go…"

"Jack won't let us go off without him." Tooth said in protest.

"We will have to think of something. There is no other way, now." North said stiffly. "Either we wait this out, and risk both the world's safety, and Jack to rot away…or we put all cards on table. There is no in-between, Tooth. Not this time. It's all or nothing."

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

A/N: **Hours slide, and days go by, till you decide to come.**

**And in between, it always seems too long. All of a sudden.**

**And I have the skill, yeah I have the will, to breathe you in while I can.**

**However long you stay…is all that I am.**

All the Same - Sick Puppies

I love that song. It fits this story so well. Even if it's about a break-up or something XD

I hope you all liked this chapter! It's twelve in the morning, and my finger got hit with a tennis racquet yesterday, so it's all bruised up and hurts whenever I hit the keyboard. So I struggled through it. I think I deserve props for that.

Updates are nice….reviews are nice…I think we can make a deal here.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Sorry for not updating! I've been getting a flow of reviews for my others stories, so I've kinda strayed to the stories that need my attention a little bit more at the moment. Like my profile says: if you guys want updates as often as I give my other stories, all you have to do is review. Since it's summer now, I tend to go for the review counts that come my way in terms of updating stories.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

The flickering light of the large candle off to the side of the group caused large shadows to twitch against the wall, full of life and movement. The large flame created an orange aura, giving the room a tinge of its sunflower-like color as it gave off a certain hue. Along with the soft color came a small crackling noise as it burned on, and after a moment of silence, Jack really appreciated its ability to create such a soothing atmosphere. If there was anything they needed right now, it would have to be calm. Even where he sat, he could hear the noises coming from the other side of the door across from him. The hustle and bustle of activity was laid thin beneath their small comfort of a candle, and Jack spoke up quickly, averting the kids' attention from the clanging and banging that leaked through their door.

"It's getting late." He said, voice having a certain rasping trait to it now. "I think you two should go to bed." He glanced over at the clock that Tooth had hung on the door when she had organized the once-hoarded-looking room. Now, it was neat and tidy, situated more like a bedroom now than anything. A bedroom with a few odd things inside of it, such as raincoats, painters' easels, Legos, and other assortments of discarded Christmas presents that had lost their touch.

But even as he spoke the words, he knew it wouldn't have much of an effect on the pair. Or at least, not on Sophie. The blonde was on a high in this room, it seemed. She dashed this way and that, trying out all the toys or playing dress-up with all the clothes. Jack sat numbly in the middle of the two plush sleeping bags that were arranged perfectly in the center of the room, watching as the two made progress trying out each and every thing around them. Like they had been doing the last two hours. Jack took a look over at the clock once again. Two and a half hours.

Sophie was busy trying to see how many coats and accessories she could fit on herself at the moment, muttering under her breath as she tried to squeeze on her third layer of rubber. Jamie stood silently to the side, looking down thoughtfully as he tried to arrange a rain hat on his head. He'd been straightening and unstraightening the thing for as long as Sophie had been messing in the clothes, and that had been for a good fifteen minutes so far. His eyes were a little distant as he fretted with the article of clothing, and Jack felt an uncomfortable pain in his chest at the sight of the boy's aloof expression. And he could see that when he spoke up, Jamie shifted a little awkwardly, as if surprised to hear him.

"Why?" Sophie asked immediately, Jack snapping his mouth shut with surprise as the girl looked back at him with a sullen expression. As soon as the word 'bed' slipped out of Jack's mouth, the girl seemed to drop everything in her arms. The coats and boots tumbled to the ground in a heap of clothing, Jamie jumping slightly as he turned over to look at his sister. He blinked fuzzily, looking almost groggy as he was roused out of whatever thoughts were keeping him sidetracked. When Jack didn't answer her whiny question, she spoke up again, scowling as she bent down to pick up her mess slowly. "I don't wanna go to bed." She snapped, voice suddenly turning angry. "I wanna stay up."

Jack started to talk, but stopped abruptly, giving a frustrated huff as the words just scraped noiselessly against his throat. Coughing into his elbow and giving himself a moment, he tried again. "What's wrong with going to sleep?" He asked, watching closely as Sophie blew out her cheeks furiously, ignoring his question and continuing to layer herself with garments. Jamie on the other hand was obviously upset by this. The boy sat back, giving up on fiddling with his hat now as he drew his knees up to his chest with a glum frown. Catching the movement, and seeing where the two were coming from, Jack's eyes softened as his shoulders drooped low.

"Hey, it'll be okay." He consoled them. The two kids glanced over at him as he gave the comfort, Jack reaching out with his arms in an open embrace. Exchanging looks, Jamie and Sophie slowly put down their things, going over and sitting down on either side of the brown-haired teenager. Jack smiled at this, turning around and slowly getting to work on Sophie's mess she had created. Unbuttoning the raincoats and taking off her many hats piled on her head, Jack pushed the clothes off to the side, piling them together and creating a large mountain. "Geez, you managed to get a lot on." He commented when he finally got finished with the work. His hands had been shaking so hard it took longer to get the clasps undone. "Maybe that's a new world record!"

The suggestion went unnoticed, though. Sophie merely gave a mumble in reply, turning and burrowing herself into her sleeping bag. Her green eyes were saddened now that the distractions were away from her. She couldn't be excited about having Jack back now that he'd been with them all day, and her game had just been taken away. Now all she had was that little giraffe stuffed animal, which didn't do much apparently. She just grabbed it in her arms, holding it close with a teary sort of stare as she looked back at Jack. Jamie followed his sister's example, hiding underneath the cover of his blanket as he ducked his head underneath its edge.

For a moment, Jack merely sat on the floor between the two kids, letting the room fall silent as he looked from one to the other. A tense quiet built a brick wall between each person, looking to be impenetrable as each kid looked pointedly away from the boy. They averted their eyes, but they didn't close them, Jack noticed. "Look, guys." He said easily, forcing his mind into overtime as he tried to find a way to say this. He drew a hand through his hair roughly, musing it up but not even caring. "I promise that if you go to sleep, you won't have any nightmares, okay?" The two took this moment to look back at him, Jack flashing them both a small smile. "You've both got four awesome Guardians here to protect you, don't you? No way they're gonna let you guys get _any _more bad dreams."

"How come you're not a Guardian anymore?" Sophie asked, voice quiet.

Jack jerked back to look at her, blinking rapidly as he searched for an answer. Reluctantly, Jamie emerged out of his blanket fort, looking interested as well when he turned over to look at Jack. Sophie looked innocent enough, blinking slowly as she tilted her head awkwardly to the side on her pillow. She hugged the giraffe to her chest like it was glued there, and as Jack stared at her blankly, she shifted a little uneasily. "Did you do something to make the others mad?" She whispered in the dark, the candle a few feet away making her face looked oddly shaded in its light. Still, Jack didn't answer, struggling to come up with a sufficient way to respond to the question. "…Or did they do something to make you mad?" She pressed when she got nothing. "I've seen you guys fighting." She paused a moment, as if thinking. "You guys never fight." She added after a pause, becoming sad at the fact.

Jamie spoke up where he was curled up, speaking for what seemed like the first time in hours. "You guys fight?" He asked hesitantly, eyes rounding out with worry and fright at the prospect. As the two kids waited for his answer, Jack could slowly feel his mental ground start to give way underneath his feet. Lies and evasions were much too easily crafted these days. He hated lying; he hated everything that had to do with lying and things of that nature. But he found himself lying more and more as each passing day slipped itself by.

He lied when Tooth asked him if he felt okay today. He lied when he comforted Jamie and Sophie whenever they felt scared or beaten-down. He lied whenever he made an extra effort to seem bouncy and upbeat around the other Guardians. He lied when he told himself that he would go out and find Pitch again whenever he got out of sight of the others in the Workshop. In general, he lied whenever he was faced with any of the problems that were at hand right now. _It's like you're a coward. A coward who is too afraid to face what's truly there._

"Friends always fight." Jack said swiftly, pushing away the hurtful words and focusing on the task at hand. It wasn't bad to lie if you did it to comfort others, he told himself firmly. There was nothing wrong with wanting to make people happy. "It doesn't mean anything. You think that you can hang out with the same people all day every day and not get a little impatient?" The joke went unnoticed apparently, and he gave another mental sigh.

Glancing behind him and making sure there were no Legos or anything that would stab him, Jack lowered himself down to lay in between the two children. He looked up at the tall ceiling, wondering how tall exactly this room was. It was like the size of a castle chamber. "I didn't wanna be a Guardian anymore." He said instead, forcing the words out and trying not to gag on them. "It was way too much pressure, you know?" He turned to either of the two, giving them both a warm grin. "I'd much rather be here with you guys instead of out there making it snow. I missed you guys way too much."

Sophie managed a smile at this, shifting her sleeping bag over so that she could curl up close to the teenager. "I missed you too." She said, subdued for once as she snuggled into the boy's now-black hoodie. "I missed you and Jamie. And now I have both of you back, so I should be happy." Jack glanced down at her words, catching sight of the girl's odd smile that never seemed to reach up to her eyes. "And I guess I am." She amended after a moment. "I have my brother, my friend, and my giraffe. I'd just rather not have all the yucky weather."

"Yeah." Jamie agreed, copying Sophie as he scooted close to Jack as well. The brunette was now sandwiched in between the kids, their soft hugs now turning into a sharp pain as he gave a deep wince. But he pushed away the pain quickly, forcing his mind off of it. Instead, he turned his head over to the window that was against the far wall, forcing his eyesight to clear as he squinted over at the glass pane. Sure enough, outside the dark storm was still raging. You almost couldn't see out of the window in the first place, considering the sheer amount of black snowflakes were starting to pile themselves up against the smooth surface. "It's gross outside." He mumbled into Jack's ribs, curling up and giving a shudder.

"Ah, it'll be fine." Jack whispered softly. "We're inside, it's outside. Bad weather can't hurt us."

After another beat of silence, the dark-haired teen turned down to Sophie, giving her a bright smile. "Hey, Squirt." He said, catching the girl's attention as she turned her bright green eyes up to his own. He wriggled his arm out from his side, careful not to slap Jamie in the process. Reaching over, Jack prodded Sophie's stuffed giraffe with one finger, the girl looking down at the gesture a little blankly. "Have you told Jamie about your magic giraffe yet?" He asked, sounding upbeat. "You have to tell him all about the way that it'll keep away bad things."

"But it only works for me." Sophie said, confusion creasing over her face as she looked at him.

Jack froze, inwardly slapping himself across the face. "…yeah…" He said awkwardly, eyes flashing as he glanced over at Jamie. The boy was oblivious to their conversation, thank heaven. He looked as if he were starting to fall asleep, actually. That was a good sign, considering it was nearly midnight. He lowered his voice just in case, not wanting to cause any further distractions. He was dead tired right now as it was; if he offered another plot twist that led the kids to get riled up again, he was going to start smacking his head against the wall. He hadn't been sure what entitled to 'watching the kids' when he took them off of Tooth's hands. Certainly he had not considered the job to entitle him the privilege of watching the P.M. on the clock change abruptly to A.M.

Usually he'd be leaping at the chance to have the kids up all night with him, but right now he just wanted to curl up and go to sleep. Was that too much to ask for? Shaking it off and forcing his tired mind forward, Jack tried to backtrack on himself. "Doesn't matter." He said, noticing that the candle was starting to run out of wax by now. He'd brought the candle in in the first place because the lights of the workshop were too bright sometimes. He found himself getting a headache from just standing under them for a few moments. Whether it was because they had some sort of weird yeti power thing or something else, he never really had the pleasure of finding it out. Instead, he just rifled through this huge workshop until he found that stash of unused blocks of wax.

"You can still brag about it." Jack said, smiling as the girl seemed to find the words amusing. She gave a small hum of laughter, the girl tightening her hold on the toy and shifting in her cocoon. "I mean, after all, that's powerful magic there." He went on, noticing that when he spoke, she seemed to get a little more tired. Was he boring her? If that meant she would sleep, then that was fine with him for now. "I think you could stand to brag about it a bit more. You're special with that, don't you know? 'Course, you're special either way."

"Does it still work?" Sophie asked sleepily, eyelids drooping a little unsteadily. "I mean- you're not a Guardian anymore. Does your magic still work?"

"'Course it does." Jack yawned, feeling his own eyes start to flutter closed as his head started to loll down to the side slightly. Jerking, he righted himself, feeling like a kid who was trying to stay awake in class. "I made it special before I stopped being a Guardian, so the magic is still there. It just takes your mindset to make the magic work, really." Waking himself up more and making sure that she was listening to this part, he made his voice a little shaper than normal. "You can't be afraid, Sophie. Otherwise it'll all have been for nothing."

When he said that, he was referencing to all the work of the Guardians in them trying to protect the pair of kids. After all, if they weren't able to keep them unafraid here in the workshop, then what else would they possibly be able to do? Or how could they ever hope to help the other children in the world that _weren't _here?

The other Guardians were planning something these past few days, Jack had seen them in close conversation with one another more than once. Thought he wasn't sure what exactly they were talking about, he could tell that they always tended to start their weird close-conversations whenever Jack was busy with the kids, or sent away by Tooth to rest in his room. They were trying to keep the heartache off of him, Jack could tell that much. But still…he still deserved to know what was going on, right?

"I know." Sophie sighed softly, her huff of air causing Jack's sweatshirt to ruffle awkwardly back and forth. "It's just…hard. It's hard." She repeated the words a little more firmly, as if she was just making sure that it was true and apparent to the boy. "My giraffe doesn't work if I'm scared." She went on tiredly, mistaking Jack's meaning in his words as she thought he was talking about the stuffed animal's 'magic.' "But…" She peeked up at Jack with a slightly put-out look. "everyone is different now." She said.

Jack perked at this, blinking as he looked down at her curiously. "How so?" He asked in concern.

"Tooth doesn't ever come over anymore." Sophie whispered into the dark, holding on a little tighter to her friend as she sighed softly. "None of the others do; they all act different now. They're tired." Jack frowned at her words, not being able to object against her at the thought of all the worn-out friends that never really had time to do anything nowadays but try vainly to spread cheer in any way they could. "Jamie's quiet, too." Sophie said, snapping him back to reality. "He's sadder than he used to be, and not as fun. You're quiet now, too." She paused a moment before correcting herself. "Not as much as him, though."

"…Oh…" Jack said, feeling as if he were slapped across the face. Disappointment in himself gashed deep in his stomach, and he swallowed back a lump in his throat a little uncomfortably. "…I'm sorry." He offered weakly. "I didn't mean to make you feel sad, Squirt. I've been trying to act the same." He immediately cursed himself as the words slipped out of his mouth, heat rushing through him at the thought of the girl catching onto what was really going on here. He'd tried to hide it from her for so long, and he might have just ruined all his efforts in that one thoughtless statement.

But Sophie only curled closer to the boy. "I know." She whispered. "I know you do. It shows."

Jack sighed in frustration, forcing his heavy head to glance back in Jamie's direction. The boy's eyes were closed gently as he pressed himself against the teenager's other side, his stomach rising and falling in a rhythmic pattern. He looked like he was asleep at the moment, and Jack fervently hoped so. "And with Jamie…you'll have to be a little patient with him." He said, going back over to Sophie, and grimacing at the way his head spun by all the movements. "He's been through some stuff, and it might take him a while to get back to his old self."

"It's been a few days." Sophie said, stifling a yawn. "How long will it take?"

Jack smiled at her careless tone of voice. She wasn't whining, not really. Her tone conveyed a message of: 'It's taking too long, so you should smack him upside the head.' Sometimes, with the way that things were going in order of importance, Jack forgot that Sophie was just a little girl. She'd gotten so mature these past few weeks, and the thought caused a stab of bittersweet sadness to lodge itself in his chest. "You know." Jack said easily. "It's probably some boy stuff, it's really gross." Sophie yawned widely, nose wrinkling with distaste at the mention of 'boy stuff' as she made a face. "Give him some time. He's gotta balance out his _inner self_."

Sophie giggled softly at this, face becoming relaxed after a moment as she closed her eyes.

Minutes dragged by, and Jack gave a small sigh as he leaned back against the ground more fully. He blinked a few times for good measure, still trying to get his head to stop spinning from moving it around so much. It seemed like his head was really sensitive now, and it really did a good job of irritating him. His throat was dry and scratchy from talking so long without a break; he was kinda impressed with Sophie for even understanding what he had been saying in the first place. He wished that he could go get a drink, but with the way that Jamie and Sophie were pressed up against him, if he moved a single millimeter he might wake them up. So, not wanting to disturb them, he forced himself to remain still and tough it out.

He'd been under the impression that they both had fallen asleep. And when he was just starting to surrender to sleep himself, Sophie spoke up once more. Her voice was slurred, and Jack had the idea that she was almost unconscious. Her eyes were still closed as he turned to look at her, but she still draped one arm across the boy's chest in a half-hug. "Jack?" She breathed out, voice so low that the boy had to strain to hear her.

"Mhm?" He prompted softly.

Sophie twitched a little in her sleep, head burrowing deeper into the boy's side. Again, he gave a grimace at the pain it inflicted. But he remained immobile for her sake, not scooting away from the touch but being careful not to lean too far into it at the same time. It took her a minute to realize that he'd replied, her mind buffering slowly in her state of semi-consciousness. "I love you." She murmured.

The statement surprised Jack, the boy stiffening at once as the words clashed in his ears. Sophie was oblivious to his reaction though, giving out light little snores as she finally fell all the way asleep. Her breath caused her blonde hair to float up and down like a rollercoaster, her chin resting numbly on top of her stuffed giraffe's head. Jack looked down at her wildly, brown eyes huge with shock. His mouth hung open like a fish who couldn't gasp in enough air, and he probably would have laughed at himself if not for the thing that the girl had said to him.

"So do I."

Jack twisted around, heart ramming against his ribcage as Jamie scared the living daylights out of him. The boy was sitting upright by now, and Jack realized that he never did fall asleep at all. Wondering how he had missed the child sitting up on his own, Jack stared up in confusion at the boy, waiting for him to elaborate. The boy blinked at his expression, eyes flashing with a little guilt as he looked down at his lap. "I'm sorry." He said softly, frowning down at his hands, which were folded neatly together. "If you think I don't…I mean." He backtracked. "I'd understand if you were angry at me."

"Jamie, I was never mad. Not even close." Jack said softly, voice grating against his throat. "I was just worried about you, that's all."

Jamie gave a small shrug. "Still." He sighed, shoulders drooping. Pausing, the boy looked up at Jack with a much more critical stare, and the boy braced himself for the question that was surely coming his way again. "You didn't just get tired of it, did you?" Jamie whispered, eyes flashing in the light of the dying candle. Jack didn't answer for a moment, mouth setting itself into a thin line. "It's okay." Jamie assured him. "You don't have to hide it from me like you do for Sophie anymore. I know what's going on more than she does." The words were so casual, like they didn't matter. But Jack felt his eyes prick and sting as he caught sight of the rather dead look in the child's eyes as he tried to shoot the teenager a weak smile.

"…But I wish you didn't." Jack managed, voice choked.

Once again, Jamie shrugged one shoulder, like it didn't matter. Like he wasn't thinking about it. Did he get his lying skills from Jack? "There's no changing it." He muttered. Hesitating a moment, the boy leaned over, reaching out with one hand and placing his palm gently against the center of Jack's chest. He touched lightly on Jack's heart, right on the injuries that Pitch had given him with his own weapon. Jack frowned at the touch, and Jamie did the same. He raised his brown eyes to meet Jack's own, and surprisingly, he gave a worried frown. "Will you be okay?" He asked in the dark.

Jack reached up with a grin, closing his hand over the boy's and giving it a comforting squeeze. "Sure I will." He said swiftly. "I'm not going to go anywhere for a while, alright?" He let go of Jamie's hand, the boy drawing his arm back to himself silently as he looked on for a moment. When the boy didn't seem deterred, Jack tried again. "It's like I said before: I'll always be with you. No matter what happens."

"I don't want anything to happen, though." Jamie whimpered. "Not anything else."

Jack gave him a sad smile. "Sometimes it happens, though." He said. "We've just gotta get through it as best we can." Blinking slowly, Jack shook himself, changing his direction and transitioning the topic. "Why don't you get to sleep?" He suggested, Jamie looking over at him with a hint of fright in his gaze. "I'll be right here all night long." Jack promised at once, before the boy could try and object to it. "And if you have a nightmare, I'll wake you up before it can get bad."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Jamie blinked, still looking reluctant about going to sleep. But eventually Jack won over like he always did, the child settling himself down glumly beside Jack once more as he rested his head on the pillow. He let his eyes slide shut, and Jack could see him purposefully slowing down his breathing. "…Hey Jack?" Jamie asked in a hush after a while. Jack glanced over at him. "Is that giraffe really magical?"

Jack grimaced inwardly, through with lying for the night. "Go to sleep, Jamie." He whispered instead.

And he did. Jack watched the clock scale upwards in numbers, listening to the kids' snores and snuffles, trying to listen out for cries or whimpers. He couldn't do much now that he wasn't a Guardian; the least he could do was sit by and make sure that these two were safe and sound. And although it didn't feel like it most times, it seemed like he must be doing some right by them. Looking down at the two kids curled up on either side of him, Jack's chest tore with a rush of fierce affection, so great that it almost took his breath away.

He gave a small smile, eyes softening visibly in the shrinking light of the candle.

"I love you guys too." He whispered.

And the candle went out.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

A/N: **Just close your eyes, the sun is going down.**

**You'll be alright; no one can hurt you now.**

**Come morning light…you and I'll be safe…and….sound**

Safe and Sound - Taylor Swift

I felt like we needed a break from the angst. This is more happy and/or bittersweet ;)

Hopefully I'll get more reviews for this, and hopefully I can update faster with this one


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Sorry for the lack of updates! This story doesn't get as many reviews as my others, so it tends to fall to the bottom of my update list. And since I have band camp now to worry about, that just makes me have even less time to work with things. So, you know, I kinda have a lot to take in lol.

So anyway, shooting you all another update! Hope it's okay! : )

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

The question came accompanied with a small yawn. Sophie stood off to the side, rubbing her eyes with a bleary-looking expression. Jack was sitting on one of the tables in the grand kitchen, watching the two kids with just-as-worn features. The pair had busied themselves with decorating large cookies with sprinkles and other assortments of candy that the Yetis had been sweet enough to bring out. While the two had gotten up rather early, they had been going strong the a much longer time than Jack had thought. Of course, they were also eating a bunch of cookies as soon as they were finished making them 'pretty.' But it looked like they were starting to slow down; Jamie was trying to stifle a few yawns, and Sophie was openly nodding off every once and a while. Her brother had to nudge her in order to get her to snap to attention.

"How come Tooth isn't helping us?" Sophie grumbled out after another wide yawn. The question had caused Jack to straighten, turning around with a narrowed look of interest as the blonde started to chow down on yet another pastry. The food muffled her question, yet the boy heard it as clear as if she had screamed it. His brown eyes flickered over to Jamie, wondering if he had heard. But there was no hiding things anymore from the older brother; the boy met Jack's eyes with a small shrug.

He could almost hear the child's words. _What do you want to tell her? _

When Jack didn't answer, she pressed her question more forcefully. "It seems like something she'd like." Sophie stated with a small smile, pushing herself up so that she could sit on the edge of the crafting table. She chomped down more on her treat, eyes a little brighter than they normally were as she wiped frosting off of her lip. "Is she busy? Ya know, with Guardian stuff?"

"She's probably working on gathering more teeth." Jack answered, choosing to tell the truth for once as he looked lazily down to the ground. Collecting teeth would most likely be where the Fay had gotten herself; that was where she normally was now. After all, that was all the Guardians were doing, after all. They were still trying to spread cheer and happiness everywhere they could; it was all they could do, after Pitch displayed what could happen if they tried to rebel. And granted, it did help a little bit. A few of the lights on the Globe had managed to relight themselves accordingly. But it did little to stop the stream of glints that were blinking out daily.

The situation was starting to get hopeless anyway, so it didn't really matter what they did.

"Hey Soph." Jamie said brightly, interrupting Jack's inner mantra as he turned over to his sister. "What're you gonna take to your class?" Sophie perked at this, blinking as she turned over to look quizzically over at her sibling. The cookie stayed in the hinges of her jaw, looking slightly comical as she didn't make a move to take it out as she turned towards him. Her eyes clouded with confusion, as if she didn't know what Jamie was talking about. The boy sighed through his nose, rolling his eyes with an almost annoyed look. "You know!" He egged on. "Your teacher! You're supposed to bring back a gift you got over Christmas Break once school starts up again."

Jack blinked, stunned by the trivial reminder. Briefly, he remembered the last time when things had been kinda normal. He had zipped into the kids' schools like he always did, ready to pick them up and help to walk them home safely. Sophie had been one of the last of her classmates to get out of her kindergarten room, hopping away with her teacher calling after her. She'd told the blonde that she should think about what to bring back; Jack hadn't thought much of it back then, and he certainly wasn't thinking anything of the sort right about now.

School wasn't something that occurred right now, they were in the North Pole for crying out loud. And with everything going on, Jack hadn't even wondered whether or not Sophie or Jamie might be getting homesick. Whether or not they would miss going to school or waking up in their own beds. Did they still think about what things might be like if they ever got home? Did Sophie wonder what gift she was going to bring back from her break, or did Jamie wonder what grade he got on that last test that Jack saw him take?

He winced away from the question, sighing slowly through his nose with a heavy grimace. Why did Jamie have to bring up something like that? While Sophie hadn't really brought up any sort of question about when she was going to be able to come home, and she was doing very well so far, she was just a little girl. Pretty soon, she would start to wonder where Mommy and Daddy were, and she would start to get bored in being here away from them.

Though the time hadn't come just yet, Jack knew that it was coming soon. If Jamie started to bring up mentions of home, it could just speed up the process of Sophie's oncoming sadness. Any kind of notion according to the way that things used to be before now could easily shove her over the edge, and Jack was getting worn thin of excuses and distractions. And since he had no powers anymore, that was all he could offer to do: distract that kids while the other Guardians tried to scramble something together in hopes of fixing what Pitch had broken. If he couldn't properly sidetrack the girl from her sorrows, then he was officially useless.

The blonde blinked rapidly at the question, looking perplexed as she let the cookie drop into her lap. It smeared her ballerina skirt -they found it in their room and she just _had _to wear it- with bright pink frosting, and Jack sighed softly at the mess. He grimaced, forcing his stiff body into motion as he pushed himself up shakily to his feet. His muscles shrieked shrilly with protest at his movements, and he let out a slow grumble of pain as he started over to the girl, grabbing a napkin up tightly in his right hand.

Stuffing away the urge to limp, and focusing his attention on walking normally, Jack made his way over to the girl with a slightly lurching gait. Sophie perked at this, eyes lighting up the way they always did when she caught sight of Jack. As if he always slipped her mind after a while, and it was always a pleasant surprise to have him suddenly appear once again. "You gotta be more careful, Squirt." He sighed patiently, leaning down and mopping up the grime from the dessert. Sophie giggled softly, squirming happily as the touch tickled. But then she composed herself, snapping her jaws together tightly as she let Jack pick up after her.

While the brunette was working on cleaning up after her, she twisted around to look back at Jamie. "I dunno." She said, Jack tensing as she started to answer her brother's question. He flashed a sharp look over at Jamie, hoping that he would get the message that the specific question might not have been the most helpful. But he was oblivious to the warning glare, and Jack was left only to roll his eyes to himself, looking back down with worried frown as he scrubbed away the grime. "Jack, what do you think I should bring back with me? Can I take back something from here?"

The tensed at the question, blinking for a heartbeat as he chose his words carefully. "I dunno, Squirt." He said slowly, drawing back and assessing his work with a careful eye. Hoping to draw her attention away from the thought of the things that might be going on back home, he said: "That's the best I can get it to be. We'll have to find something else for you to wear pretty soon. Hopefully we'll be able to find something." He cleared his sore throat with a grimace as his voice started to crack, shaking his head crossly at the stumble. "For both of you, too." He turned over to Jamie as well at this. "We can have Sophie play dress-up with you, huh?"

Jamie smiled softly at this, giving a slow shrug. Jack's own grin was dashed at the way that Jamie didn't reply to readily to him; he was more than happy to joke with Sophie, but he always slowed down when it came to Jack. Now, nobody had asked Jamie what he dreamed about. None of the Guardians thought he was ready to look back on the memories, it was a miracle he was even willing to get up and do things at this point in time. Tooth had made a point to draw Jack away from the others, telling him with a stern look that he shouldn't try and bring it up with the child.

He had managed to listen to this piece of advice, having been acutely aware of Bunny's look burning into his back. It had been the kind of look that said: 'He-won't-listen-to-us-it's-just-like-any-other-ti me.' So, just to prove that he _could _follow directions when they were sensible, Jack had remained quiet. He had held himself back from asking the boy what had gone on when he had been asleep. But just thinking about the small preview that Pitch himself had given him back in the woods, he could only guess that it was something beyond thinking.

It wasn't like he needed to know anyway. Because whether or not he knew for certain what had gone on, he just knew that it had made Jamie much more quiet and reserved. And for something to have taken the boy from what he had been to what he was now, it must have been terrible. Pitch could hurt Jack in any way possible. He could stab him in the chest, he could tear him limb from limb, and he could even take away his ability to become a Guardian; but when Pitch Black dared to do something like this to Jamie, that was when Jack got mad.

And he knew that the very next time Jack saw Pitch, he would make a clear point to tell him so.

"I don't wanna play dress-up anymore, we've done that a million times." Sophie snorted, picking up her cookie with a flourish once more. Jack eyed the girl warningly, drawn out of his stupor as he silently told her not to drop it again. The blonde stuck her sprinkle-colored tongue out at him, green eyes flashing with a small hint of humor. But she went on before saying anything else, swinging her legs out in a bored fashion. She nearly kneed Jack right in the side, the teen stumbling woozily over to the side as he dodged the blows. "I wanna think about what to take back to school!" She crowed.

"Well, there's a bunch of stuff here, Soph." Jamie pointed out, looking away from Jack as he turned pointedly towards his sister. "I'm sure that the others would let you take something back, as long as you returned it afterwards. Maybe you could bring back the sleeping bag that you've been sleeping in. You'll have a really wild story with that one!" He leaned over, hand curling into a fist as he punched her in the shoulder gently. "After all, you've been spending the night in Santa's Workshop? There's no better place to be during Christmas."

Sophie blinked, looking as if she were about to agree. But then she hesitated, "I don't know." She said after a small pause. "My teacher said I needed to bring the best _present _I got. That's not really a present; it wasn't wrapped up in shiny paper. And all my gifts that I got for Christmas are back at home, so…" She shrugged, pursing her lips in a thoughtful manner. "I'll have to stop by the house before I go back to school and pick up my favorite things that I got. I don't think I remember what Mommy and Daddy got me though."

"You got an Easy Bake Oven, didn't ya?" Jack prompted.

"Oh yeah!" Sophie said, face splitting into a grin. "I could make cookies for my class!"

"That'd be good." Jamie mumbled, turning away and munching noisily away.

"And besides, just because it's not in wrapping paper, that doesn't mean it's not a gift." Jack chided, leaning over and poking her in the stomach comically. The prod caused a flash of pain to lance up his arm, but he pushed it away with a deaf ear, refusing to listen to his body telling him to stop moving and lay down. "That sleeping bag was given to you, so that means it's a gift. Just as much as your little Giraffe is, actually."

Sophie gasped sharply, snapping to attention as she spun around on the table. Her stuff animal was discarded to the side, limp in mid-position. Sophie had placed a cookie hidden underneath a glob of rainbow sugar in front of the animal, having bent over the Giraffe so that it mimicked eating the mound of calories. "I could bring her!" She declared suddenly, looking very excited now. "I could bring my Giraffe and tell all my friends about how it's magic!"

She leaned over, scooping up the toy and making it jump and leap in midair. Her blonde hair bounced messily as she bounced, and she let out a giggle from the movement. Jamie leaned away from his sister, one eye closed as he gave a small smile, trying to dodge away from her rapid jumps. The table shook along with her, and Jack had to fight to keep the smile off of his face himself. "I can bring this one! I can do the thing! I can dance and clap and whatever!"

"If you can remember it." Jack dished out, silently hoping for just that.

"I remember everything!" She crowed immediately, squashing his brief glimpse of being able to untangle himself from the whole Giraffe endeavor. "First I spin around in a circle! And then I clap my hands five times! No…wait…eight. Eight times! And then I do a dance! The best dance ever! Then-" The girl was tripping over herself, turning over to Jamie as she spilled out everything she could about her magical stuffed animal. The down-low that Jack had told her to keep -just to help her keep some dignity- was now non-existent. Jack figured it was okay though, as long as she didn't tell any of the other Guardians. After all, it wasn't like Jamie would be the one to let her down.

But Jack's attention had wavered from the girl, her voice tapering away to a small mumble in his conscious as his eyes suddenly caught a sense of movement. A flash of black off to the side, closer to the entrance of the actual kitchen, a ways off from where they were standing right now. But it was enough to draw Jack's point of view over in confusion, the teen turning slowly so that his back was to the kids. Neither of the two noticed this change, and he wasn't about to call them out to the hint that there might be something in the corner. He didn't want to frighten them even more than they already were.

Sophie was busy exclaiming her potential power to rule the world, Jamie intent on every word she said. They were both oblivious to Jack, and the way that he had put his back to them. His brown eyes flashed with danger, immediately alert as he remembered these past few days. Taking into consideration all that has happened so far, he wasn't about to let this go. It might just be a trick of the light, but he wasn't going to let his guard down as easily as he would have before.

Wincing a little and taking small steps towards the direction of the commotion, Jack tried to think of ways that it could turn out to be nothing. Like the time in the woods when it just turned out to be a cat instead of some frightful nighttime terror. It could have been a rather small Yeti, or a piece of furniture that fell. It could have been a present that had been dropped from way up high, or a flying plane that had suddenly decided to crash-land. Anything but something to fear. Anything but something dangerous, because that was the least of their worries.

Reaching the spot with slow progress, Jack leaned over, careful eyes flicking back and forth decisively as he scanned the area. He wasn't exactly sure which specific spot the thing he saw had been, but it had to be somewhere in this area. But as he looked around, he couldn't see even a hint that anything had been there. Feeling a flash of suspicion and relief at the same time, Jack's cheeks blew out a heavy sigh, shoulders slumping somewhat.

But he immediately tensed up once more, eyes rounding out at once as a small glint caught his eye. Half-falling and half-crouching down, Jack bent over, breath hitching in his throat at once. Reaching out with a shaking hand, Jack pressed his palm against a smudge on the ground, already knowing what would meet him when he brought it back to himself. And sure enough, as he lifted it off the ground, he was left with a smear of glimmering black dust.

Nightmare Sand.

"Jamie! Sophie!" Jack yelled at once, whirling around. He didn't even try to hide the importance of the situation from them, and he could tell by the way they looked over at him that he had frightened the kids. They didn't move at first, more out of confusion than anything else. But that only made him become more upset, shooting to his feet with a pain-filled jump. Another flash of black to the side. But this time he could see the clear outline of Pitch's horses. How had they gotten in here? "Jamie! Sophie!" He screamed again, nearly pink in the face. "Get _**over **_here! _**Now**_!"

Jamie caught on first, turning and bluntly shoving his sister off of the table's edge. She yelped sharply, tumbling over with a surprised look as she hit the ground with a thud. Jamie hopped off after her, landing neatly beside his little sister as he leaned over. From his standpoint, Jack could see the boy's lips moving, imagining the apologies flowing out of his mouth as he helped the blonde to right herself once more. Sophie's eyes were welling up with tears of pain and indignation, Jack catching sight of a scrape on her cheek that marked where she had landed on the ground.

By now, the horses were slinking out of their hiding places, yellow eyes burning like little coals as they growled hatred at the trio. Jamie screamed sharply at the sight of them, grabbing Sophie's hand and tugging his little sibling along forcefully by now. Sophie didn't reply, stunned with shock as she finally caught on to the fact that something was happening. She stumbled blindly after her brother, tripping over herself as they both made for Jack.

By now, the Nightmares had advanced fully. Jack's heartbeat roared like a lion in his ears, a million thoughts going through his mind at once. _Protect them! __**You can't! **__The Nightmares can't possibly get in here! __**Well they're here now, there's no point in denying that! **__I'm so tired, I can barely move…. __**Get up! These kids need you! They're more important than you are! **_The thought sent a thrill of anger and defiance through the teenager, and Jack crouched down, bracing himself. His muscles screamed at him to stop before he did something stupid, but Jack pushed away the thought almost angrily.

Jamie skidded to a stop, screeching with surprise as one of the Nightmares suddenly lunged for him. At the same time, Jack threw himself forward as hard as his aching self could manage. He crashed into the kids, knocking them both onto their backs as he crouched over them. The Nightmare swiped right through empty air, landing on the ground in a skid as it roared with anger at the miss. Jack could feel Jamie and Sophie curl up tightly underneath him, their shrieks making the air around the teenager vibrate with fear.

The Yetis that had been inside the Kitchen were alerted at once by the noise and commotion outside. And Jack noticed with a wave of relief as they poured out of the doors, eyes wide at the sight that met them. The entire Dining Room was crowded with masses of shadows and Nightmares by now, evil eyes gleaming hungrily at the horrified group in the center of their circle. The Nightmares were making fast progress in surrounding them, and Jack knew that if help didn't come fast, they would be in some serious trouble.

The Yetis dashed in head-first, roaring with anger as an alarm rang throughout the building. Whether or not it was used to signal fires, tornadoes, blizzards, or danger, it alerted the rest of the area that _something _was wrong. Its shrill ringing buzzed and glared through Jack's already-hazy mind, the teenager grimacing into the ground as his head ached from the noise. Jamie and Sophie both tensed with shock as the sharp bell clanged, and Sophie's mouth moved rapidly, as if firing out questions. But with everything going on around them, Jack wasn't able to hear her words.

Yetis were trying to break through the walls of Nightmares, their growls nearly inaudible thanks to the alarm. But it was slow going; the Nightmares were obviously much more stronger than they usually were. They gleamed a sharp contrast of pitch black, their yellow eyes seeming to glow with a new kind of horror. And as Jack met some of their gazes, he could almost glimpse into their minds, glimpse into his worst fears. He was almost swept away as one locked eyes with him, breath taken away as images flashed through his mind. Tooth pinned down, unable to move as Pitch laughed overhead. North limp against the ground, the miniature form of Bunny trying to nudge him awake. Jamie and Sophie crouched behind Sandy, shrill wails coming through their mouths as they tried desperately to hide. And Jack off to the side, unable to help in any way.

The Nightmare shrieked, rousing him out of his horrors as he gasped sharply. He was trembling after seeing what seemed like a deadly promise. He looked at the things around them with a look of utter shock and horror, almost unable to grasp what Pitch was showing them. He wasn't trying to kill them; no, if that was his goal, they would be long gone already. That fact alone was obvious taking into consideration the sheer amount of force that he had brought with him.

No, Pitch was just showing an example. Showing how far he had come. And what they had to fear.

"Oh, what a delicious scene we have here." The small coo made Jack's head whip around in a frenzy, brown eyes flashing at once as he sheltered the kids underneath him better. The room went deathly silent now, all eyes on the figure pacing forward through the Nightmares. The only noise was the shuffle of hooves against the ground, and the loud alarm overhead, bouncing to and fro from the walls. It called out to everybody, but was getting no one. Pitch smirked at the sight of them all, as if just thinking the same thing. But then his smile faded, to be replaced by an almost bored frown. "How boring." He commented. "I was hoping you would all put up a little bit more of a fight for this one."

Jack was speechless with fury at the sight of the Shadow. He was so angry, he didn't notice the way that the temperature dropped ten degrees around them, or the way that Jamie and Sophie immediately started to shake with cold. He was too busy looking at Pitch's new way of holding himself, of the new look that the villain had.

As Pitch came closer and closer, black frost snapped back in his wake, making a wicked-looking pattern of crooked lines. They weren't pretty and magical like Jack had made them once before, they were cruel and sharp, like branches of a dead tree that rattled in the wind. The bottom of the man's cloak seemed to melt away to the frost, making him have the appearance of floating along the ground. And he might have been too, aided by the winds that Jack had once relied on. But now they were with Pitch, freezing breezes sweeping forward to blow over the hearts of those around him.

Pitch caught sight of his infuriated look, his grin returning at once as he looked at the human. "Oh, this is too good." He said, quickening his pace somewhat as he got closer. He was less than a few feet away now, and Jack could feel Jamie start to tremble uncontrollably, as if Pitch brought memories back with him. "The great Jack Frost…or should I call you that now?" Jack bared his teeth, gritting them together tightly as he dug his fingernails into the wood underneath him. Pitch smirked at the motion, shaking his head slowly. "Don't strain yourself, Jack. After all, you're no Guardian anymore."

"I'll _always _be a Guardian." Jack hissed slowly, shaking with anger.

"But you're not." Pitch said, eyes narrowing with interest at this outburst. As if thinking: Maybe this won't be so boring after all. When Jack didn't make a move to reply to this one, Pitch shook his head once more. "Look at yourself, Frost, you've really let yourself go." Jack growled, bringing up one hand to press it against the wounds on his chest, which were scratching against the gauze tied around them. "The best you can do it hunker down over two children? That's _hardly _a form of protection."

He jerked his head awkwardly to one side, and Jack's guard was slipped at the odd movement. But immediately, one of the Nightmares dashed forward, rocketing towards Jack and slamming into his side. The boy gasped sharply, freezing wind washing over him as the horse dashed away into black sand, the grains immediately latching onto Jack's baggy clothes. Darkness swarmed on the edges of his vision, and Jack felt his muscles go limp against his will, feeling his body sag forward with tiredness. His eyes fluttered, the boy having to force them to stay open so that he wouldn't go to sleep.

He glared up at Pitch, the Nightmare Sand taking a chokehold on him, adding what felt like a million tones to his body as his arms trembled. Sophie shrieked as a grain dropped down onto her cheek, the little girl rubbing it away with a frantic pull as she trembled. Jack growled, gritting his teeth together so tightly his head ached. "You fight dirty." He spat, voice slurred as he tried to keep from falling asleep. He wouldn't let Pitch win so easily.

The man scoffed. "You're hardly a fair player either. After all, now that I have your powers," He displayed Jack's old staff to him, broken and stained as it glinted evilly in the light in the light of the kitchen. "you're no match for someone like me. I came here trying to cause a stir; after all, being the most powerful being can get boring, so I gave you all a fighting chance. But…" He looked around dramatically. "it seems that this place is just as boring. Pity." Jack opened his mouth to reply, but Pitch cut him off, looking down at Jamie, who was still curled up underneath the shelter of Jack. "Maybe I could entertain myself with the boy again, he was quite fun."

Jamie squeaked, curling up into a tight ball at the comment. Jack's forehead creased with anger, his cheeks blowing out slowly as he seethed up at Pitch. The man made a move to walk forward once more, and Jack snapped. At once, he threw off his tiredness, snapping up to his feet impressively as he dived forward. He left Jamie and Sophie unprotected, and they got up on all fours as soon as he tore himself away from them. But the thought was surprisingly the last one on Jack's mind. Right now all he wanted was to get back at Pitch like he promised himself he would.

Pitch stiffened with surprise at the advance, caught off-guard as he turned back to Jack. The boy locked his elbow back in a sharp right angle, jumping off the ground with a leap that proved nearly impossible given his condition. Before Pitch even had time to react, Jack snapped forward, fist swinging around and coming into contact right on target into Pitch's face. The force of it sent shock up Jack's wrist, and a sickening crunching noise came from his hand at the contact. But the pain was the last thing on Jack's mind.

Pitch righted himself slowly, looking almost lost as he turned slowly to face Jack. The brunette was gasping, staggering and stumbling now as his body began to win over his conscious. But he managed to straighten up, brown eyes narrowing into slits of fury. Speaking around his gasps, Jack spat into the man's face. "Don't…lay a _finger_…on them."

The attack came just as suddenly as his own did. Pitch reached back sharply, lashing out and back-handing the weak teenager onto the ground. Hitting the back of his head against the wood of the floor, Jack saw bright stars dance in front of his eyes, letting out a choked gag of pain as his wounded arm hit the floor. He tried to get up, but his body was much too heavy, the boy's breaths coming in at rapid gasps as he found himself unable to move. Pitch leaned over him, eyes narrowing as he glared down at Jack. But a small hint of a smile played on the edges of his lips. "That was cute." He scoffed. "But much too simple."

"You…bought it." Jack gasped, words coming slow to mind.

"But I won't do it again, you can be assured." Pitch growled, looking up to stare over at Jamie and Sophie, who were watching with wide, frightened eyes. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to have fun with those of you who are actually _involved_." He glanced down at Jack, a look of disgust in his eyes. "Not just 'sticking around' and refusing to leave." He started over to the two little kids, the horses around them starting to whinny with excitement as their master started on the prowl.

"W-Wait." Jack blustered, a feeling of panic overcoming him at the thought of Jamie and Sophie in danger. He closed his eyes, biting back the shrill scream of agony and panic that bubbled in the back of his throat as he forced himself back up to his feet. Pitch sighed slowly, as if Jack was just a child that he couldn't be bothered with. But to his credit, Jack refused to stop, getting up shakily and starting to trudge forward. "Leave…leave them alone." He gasped, Pitch turning around with an irritated look as the boy limped over to him. "Leave them out of this."

"Jack, you should learn when to quit. Although it was a little fun at first, it's starting to get a little tedious." Pitch sighed, watching with a bored look as Jack locked back his other arm, preparing to strike out once again. Before he could, Pitch leaned forward, hand flying out at once and locking around the boy's windpipe. Jack's eyes immediately bugged out, his lungs choked off for air as he found himself unable to breathe. Hands flying up, he tried to pry off Pitch's grasp, but the man was much too strong for the boy. "Now." He said calmly, watching the boy struggle. "Are you quite finished?"

"Don't hurt him!"

Pitch's head snapped around, eyes flashing as they landed on Jamie. The boy had stood up at this new point, mouth set in a firm line as he glared up at the man. Sophie cowered behind her brother, jumping high into the air whenever a single noise rose up from the Nightmares around them. Through his hazy eyesight, Jack could see that though the boy's voice sounded tough, there was a small shake in his hands, as though it was taking all his will-power not to run away. Pitch growled deep in his throat, only tightening his hold on Jack's throat at this, the brunette letting out another sharp gag.

Blackness edged around his eyesight, and his head spun and whirled like a top. He felt himself beginning to slack, and a small voice in the back of his mind told him that this might be the end. To savor what he had a few moments ago because he would never get to cherish it ever again. But as soon as he started to come to terms with the awful fact, a dagger flew out of nowhere, spinning forward and digging itself deep into Pitch's hand.

Pitch immediately dropped Jack, stumbling backwards as he roared out a long syllable of pain. Jack crashed in a heap to the ground, gasping in air that stung his lungs as he coughed and spluttered. The owner of the dagger swooped forward, raging with fury and anger as they skidded to a stop in front of him protectively. Tooth looked fit to murder, which was a lot coming from the kind-hearted Fay. Her wings were going a million miles an hour in the effort of keeping herself afloat, but if it strained her she gave no heed.

"Pitch!" She snapped as the man tore away the knife from his hand. "Pick a fight with someone your own skill!"

"And you have some, I'd guess?" Pitch drawled, taking in the sight of her grayed feathers and weak wings.

She bristled at this, growling out the response. "I'm fit enough to teach someone like you a lesson!"

Others gathered around, Jack just barely managing to see the gray form of Bunny corralling Jamie and Sophie on the other side of the room. Sandy and North both placed themselves on either side of Tooth, the trio creating a strong barrier around Jack, who lay unable to move on the ground. Bunny herded the kids back, the pair of them crashing down on the ground beside Jack. "Jack!" Jamie gasped, reaching over and shaking the boy's shoulder with a hard jerk. "Jack, are you okay? I'm sorry!"

"Jack, are you alright, Mate?" Bunny asked, craning his neck to look back at the limp teen.

Everyone was so worried.

Worried about the boy who could barely defend anything now.

Jack tried to push himself back up to his feet. _Get back up. Fight with them. You know you can. You just have to forget everything else. Forget your pounding head. _His arms trembled, trying to pick their heavy load up back into the air. _Forget the way your head is spinning, or the way you feel like you need to just curl up. Your sore throat, your aching muscles. The way your stomach flips. _He couldn't get up. _You__** have **__to._

He opened his mouth to reply. _Of course I'm fine. Help me up. I can fight with you. I can…_

His arms slipped, his body falling back onto the ground in slow-motion it seemed. He couldn't do anything to stop himself, he couldn't will any part of him to move so that he could cushion his fall. He let himself swing back down, not realizing what way he would land. The side of his head crashed back into the ground, his vision exploding in pure white as he went completely still.

The last thing he heard was a scoff from Pitch: "Pathetic."

_I'm not. I can help. I can fight. I protected Jamie and Sophie, did any of you see? _

_Did any of you see?_

He tried to say the words, the things that would make him seem like the hero instead of the victim.

But his world went black.

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A/N: Right. I'm tired.

I hope I get a lot of reviews for this!

Please, it really helps. Both with my creative flow, AND with the amount of updates you'll get

And sorry for any typos. I BARELY get time to WRITE with marching band camp, much less go over for mistakes. So really, I'm VERY sorry. But that's a problem I can't think too much about right now. I just have a crapload of stuff on my plate, if you know what I mean~


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Alright! I got more reviews for this one than last one, so that's always good :3

Band camp ended, but I only have five more days of summer. ((sob))

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The world came back in a sort of slow focusing. Muffled voices and clangs of unnamed sounds slowly grow into a more structured roar, rumbles separating into syllables and bangs separating into footsteps. Even with his eyes closed, Jack was aware of the heavy presence that leaned over him, and he was able to faintly make out that it was the others. The group was forming a tightly-knit circle around the teenager, their anxious whispers meeting his ears after a moment or two. Tooth was talking a mile a minute, her tired wings creating a sharp humming noise through the air as she hovered frantically. North was speaking to her slowly, obviously trying to get the riled Fay to calm down, but it wasn't working. Where Bunny and Sandy were went as a mystery to Jack, but it was amazing that his pounding head even managed to come to the conclusion of North and Tooth as it was.

But as soon as the conscious thoughts of where his friends were crossed his mind, pain exploded like a firecracker in Jack's head. Starting from the back and wreathing its way around his eyes, agony ripped through his skull terribly. His body locked up at once, eyes screwing shut tighter as a strangled yelp leaked through his clenched teeth. At once, Tooth stopped fluttering, her wings slowing down at once as she landed with a dull thud on the ground. North made a dismissive noise, sounding like a sort of: 'I-told-you-so' kind of snorts.

"Jack?" Tooth asked at once, the Fay leaning down closer so that her forehead was nearly touching Jack's own. Blearily, with a hiss of strained pain, the teenager forced his eyes to open little by little. The light that greeted him was sharp, slicing through his eyesight and making his head spike with pain even more. Closing them for a moment, and waiting for the purple spots to blink themselves away, he tried again, successfully managing to resurface from his unconscious state after a few moments of failure.

Through the ringing pain that was lancing itself up and down his spine, Jack gave a slow groan, brown eyes finally managing to take in what was going on around him. He was laying where he had fallen, on the floor of the now-wrecked dining room. All around, tables were flipped over and splinters of wood littered the ground. The fancy workmanship of the eatery was now demolished into something that looked straight out of a hurricane. Gleaming black icicles hung from the ceiling and the walls, pointed so sharp that Jack wondered faintly if they should get out from underneath them. They looked like they could cause some heavy damage if they fell on top of someone.

"Jack?" His name came again, Tooth's voice sharp with worry and maybe even a little anger, though it was sure to be hysterical anger and not the furious kind. North leaned forward a little bit, trying once more to shush the worrisome Fay, but Tooth shrugged him off yet again. The woman was beside herself now, almost shouting as she glared down at Jack. "That was a stupid thing to do, you know!" She snipped, hands clenching themselves into tight fists as she went on. "You could have been killed, Jack! Do you have any idea what would have happened if you had-"

"Whoa, wait- wait?" Jack groaned, voice thick with pain as he cut off the fairy's incessant yammering. Tooth jumped with surprise, blinking rapidly as she drew back. Attempting to get up into a sitting position, Jack planted his elbows against the ground, putting down as much force as he could manage as he tried to get up. But at once, agony wrapped itself tightly around his arm, starting up from his knuckles and stretching all the way up to his elbow. He clamped his jaws shut tight, eyes widening out with surprise at the sudden terrible feeling.

Tooth caught the expression, face creasing over with pain as she reached out, placing a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. "It's okay." She cooed soothingly, voice turning soft like a mother would use when talking to a child. "You're hand is really banged up, you hurt it bad whenever you hit Pitch." Her expression grew concerned at this, and Jack could almost see a flicker of some unknown thought come over her face. But it was gone before Jack could voice the question that was on his tongue, and the tooth fairy went on in her words before he could manage to speak aloud again. She kept her hand firmly on his shoulders, dull pink eyes raw with grief and sadness as she swallowed back a lump in her throat rather thickly.

"You gave us all a big scare." She murmured, voice starting out low and quiet. Jack winced through the pain rolling through his head like waves, trying to listen to her words as best he could. But it was difficult; his hearing was tuning in and out, making it sound as if her voice was over a radio with bad connection. The problem was an odd one, he'd certainly never had it before. But he tried his best to jump over this new hurdle, trying to bypass the migraine as he focused in on her static voice. "We were all in another room talking when the Alarm went off. We had no idea _what _happened.

"We followed the noises of the Yetis; they were shouting and roaring, so we figured that that was where we needed to go. We got there just in time to see you hit Pitch. We were far away, and we still had to get past the wall of Nightmares, but you seemed to be handling it pretty well. But then Pitch grabbed you, so we knew we had to act fast." She paused a moment, grimacing as if she were in pain similar to Jack's own. "You were unconscious, you wouldn't have known-"

"Is everyone okay?" Jack asked at once, realizing that he couldn't see Bunny, Sandy, or the kids.

The thought was enough to send the teenager reeling away as if struck. The kids _had _to be okay. The other Guardians too. What would he ever do if he lost any of them? Including Bunny, as annoying as the cottontail could get at times. Each person was like a family member to him; if he lost even one soul, he didn't know how he would ever be able to cope. They had been badly outnumbered, though Jack had the nagging theory that the only reason Pitch came in the first place was to create fear. But the man had claimed to be bored as well. What was more fun than creating yet another tragedy for them all to handle? How fun would it be to see the Guardians scramble over a death of their own?

But Tooth shook her head gently, giving him a rather pinched smile. "We're all okay." She promised him at once, catching sight of the panic that was surely making itself known. "A few cuts and scrapes, but…we're good. We managed this time around." Jack tensed at the word 'managed' and the dry humor that came along with it. Did she think it was funny? The fairy gave a small sigh at his accusing look, ducking away from his question as she asked instead: "How do you feel?"

Probably expecting a small smile thrown her way, or a fervent prayer of thanks, Tooth was rather shocked as Jack glared at her sharply instead. "What does that mean?" He growled angrily, trying to push himself up on the table for the second time. North watched the boy's stiff movements, eyes narrowed into small slits as he observed each creak of the joints like a hawk. "I'm fine, Tooth. Obviously." He snapped, voice cracking. "Stop worrying about me, I'm not some stupid kid you need to look after."

The girl blinked, wings drooping at once as she wrung her hands together. She bit her lower lip, looking very put-out as she shrunk backwards. "Well, I know that." She said, regret tingeing her voice as she came to the realization that she had offended him. "You're not a little kid, that's not what I was implying. I know that you're just as capable as you were before-" She cut herself off, looking agitated now as color rose into her cheeks. Jack threw her a look, but he was silent until the Fay shook herself, finally managing to track down her thoughts so that she could voice them. "Your head." She stated finally. "It's…erm-"

Jack finally managed to get himself up, sitting upright now as he staggered. As soon as he did though, nausea swept up through his stomach, clogging itself in his throat as it made his already-injured head spin. For a minute, he thought he was going to sick, and he could only dread the embarrassing moment that would follow if he did throw up in Tooth's direction. But he managed to choke back the sensation, only having to wait a few minutes before it passed. And when it did, he realized what Tooth was referencing.

Lifting up his uninjured hand, Jack pressed it against his skull, immediately grimacing away as fire burned underneath his touch. Tooth jerked forward, arms flying out as if she were preparing herself to help him out. But North looked around Jack, giving her a stern look and silently warning her not to do anything more. Catching the sight, Tooth blinked rapidly, snatching her hands back as swiftly as possible as she sat back. She watched Jack instead, keeping herself rooted to the spot as she watched him anxiously.

Lifting his hand off gingerly, Jack brought his hand down, looking at his palm with a sickening sigh. Blood splattered his hand like pain, dark scarlet against his ghastly-pale skin tone. It was a stark comparison of colors, and yet Jack had no doubt that the liquid would have blended itself rather well into his brunette hair. Now that it was brought to his attention, Jack was acutely aware of the metallic smell that came from his wound, and it would have turned his stomach if he wasn't already so nauseas. "Aw, man." He sighed loosely, shoulders drooping at once as he realized what happened. "That must have happened…when I hit the ground." He managed.

Tooth nodded silently for a moment, trying to make it look as if she wasn't so interested in him. Though it was a hard thing to do when her inner voice was screaming at her to take proper care of him. But she knew that the goal was an impossible one, so she just decided to make do with what she had. Keeping her hands clasped tightly in front of her, and aware of the fact that she would have to be careful with her words, the Fay shifted a little uneasily. "It's uh…it's not as bad as it looks." She assured him.

Jack's brown eyes went over to her, the boy lowering his hand against the wood without even bothering to wipe it clean. Tooth tried to meet his gaze, but she wasn't able to. She couldn't bear to look into those sad brown eyes, and know for a fact that she was never going to be able to see those cool blue ones. Jack would never look at her with that same sparkling look of mischief. His eyes would never gleam like a pair of sapphires. Some people said that brown eyes were cute and innocent. But whenever Tooth looked into them, all she could see was what Jack had lost. And what he would probably never get back.

"The head wound, I mean." She said quickly, backtracking in order to clarify. "North checked you over while you were still asleep." She glanced over at the man, who was busy surveying the area, making sure that there were no Nightmares in the wait or hiding away from them in hopes of spying. This was his third time in doing so, of course, but he had made it clear that now it was better to be safe other than sorry. "It's not like it would cause you any real harm, but…" She hesitated, blanching in her speech. "We'd better wrap it up. Just to make sure that it won't get any worse than it already is."

"You think?" Jack asked dully, obviously not paying attention to whatever she was saying. Tooth blinked, hurt pricking like a thorn in her heart as she realized that she was the last thing on Jack's mind. He was looking around, interest sparking as his gaze flickered back and forth across the room. North broke off from his searching at this, eyes flashing as he looked back at the teenager, and by the look on his face, Tooth felt a sudden crash of foreboding. Coming to the conclusion of what North was dreading, Tooth guessed Jack's next words before they were out of his mouth. "Where are Jamie and Sophie? And Bunny and Sandy?"

Silence met his words, and Tooth had to look away from Jack. She couldn't force herself to look at him, and Jack seemed to know this as well as she did. "…What?" He asked, voice dipping low with suspicion. His brown eyes immediately sparked with anger, uninjured hand balling into a frustrated fist as he looked from the Russian to the Fairy. "What?" He asked, voice much more firmer than it had been a heartbeat before. "Are they hurt? Are they in trouble?" Still nothing. He closed his eyes tightly, having to calm down before going on. And when he did, his voice was measured, as if he were dangerously close to snapping apart. "Tell me what's going on." He said tightly. "Now."

"Jack, we're not going to-"

"Tell me." He snapped, whirling around with speed that was sure to make his head spin like a top. But if it did, he didn't show the feeling. Instead, he twisted around sharply, glaring daggers at Tooth as she tried to lie to him. The Fay responded by snapping her mouth closed, eyes widening with surprise as she scooted backwards slightly. "Don't lie to me anymore." Jack growled sharply, voice like nails. "I'm sick of you all holding stuff back from me. Just because I don't have any special 'powers' doesn't make me any less involved in whatever's happening. If I got killed from Pitch, I would have died without knowing what would happen next because you all don't trust me enough to tell me anything anymore."

Tooth stiffened with shock at the analogy, eyes rounding out with horror. But North spoke before she did, probably knowing that she would immediately start yelling at Jack had he not interrupted. "Don't think like that, Jack." North said firmly, looking down at the injured boy with a look between concern and anger. "We would never keep you in the dark about things unless it was for good reason."

"What's your good reason, then?" Jack asked scathingly, eyes flashing skeptically.

"We knew you." North said simply. Jack looked caught off-guard at this, snapping his mouth closed with a confused look. For a moment, the man let the teenager flounder for a response. But then he shook his head slowly, going on with a look that grew more sorrowful by the second. "We knew that the solution in which we had landed on would not bode well with you." Jack's face cleared at this, but his confusion was gradually replaced with apprehension. "We knew that…you would not like it if Sophie and Jamie were to go back home."

The words fell separately, and Tooth could almost see the way that each of them slammed into Jack's stomach. The teen's eyes widened with each syllable, and apprehension was replaced with sheer anger and horror at the prospect of this so-called 'solution.' Tooth flinched away from the sight, shrinking into her grayed feathers as she looked down at the ground.

This was it, she supposed. This was the deciding factor. Now that Pitch proved himself able to get into the Workshop with such an army, there was no use in keeping Jamie and Sophie away from their parents. They were no more safe here than they would be at Burgess now that the Guardians were losing their powers. Better to let them spend their days alongside their parents rather than keep them pinned up in that useless Unused Presents room. No matter how much they had been through, they were still children. And kids needed their family at times like this. They had kept them long enough.

It wasn't until the end of her spiel that she realized she had spoken the words aloud. Jack's astonished look was trained intently on her, not missing a single word or phrase as the girl finished. Slowly, she raised her eyes up to his, looking up from the ground and forcing herself to lock gazes with him. "It's the best way for them, Jack." She croaked finally, getting over the shock of her slip-up. While she hadn't meant to speak the words outright, she figured that it was better this way. She'd described their predicament as clearly as she could, Jack could take it or leave it as it was, but this was what they were doing. And she just explained why. "Kids need to be with their families. Especially now." She glanced over slowly at North, the lump in her throat returning slowly. "They need all the time they can get."

A look closely associated with that of disgust came over Jack's face as he looked from North to Tooth, like a child trying to contemplate over the means of connecting the dots. "Y-You sound like you're giving up." He stated slowly, looking as if the very word caused him to gag. Tooth and North exchanged a glance. It was silent and swift, but Jack caught it almost at once. "You are giving up….aren't you?" He asked softly, voice rasping thickly in his throat.

"No." Tooth said, a little bit too quickly.

North was more prepared for his answer, though. "Guardians never give up, Jack." He said assuredly. "But we do know when enough is enough."

"That's the same thing." He argued harshly.

"It was Pitch." Tooth said haltingly, speaking up from where she sat. Her weary wings were unable to flutter anymore, the Fay having taken to sitting down in a heap on one of the (rare) undamaged chairs that were scattered across the room. Jack turned to look down at her, gaze drawn between anger or curiosity. They hadn't given him details on what happened when he was out cold, he had no idea what to expect. And when Tooth went on, it was clear that he had not imagined that she would say the words she did. "He didn't just come here to scare us, Jack. Surely he wouldn't be that narrow-minded?" Jack shifted on the surface of the table, not responding to her comment.

Shaking her head uselessly, she went on as best she could, eyes glued on her hands now, which rested in her lap. "After we fought for a few minutes, he cut everyone off. The Nightmares completely stopped in their tracks. He looked at us, and he gave us a proposition. He said that his boredom was going to be short-lived, one way or another. He…he gave us…twelve hours."

"…Twelve hours for what?" Jack asked, feeling stupid.

"He said that we have twelve hours to prepare." Tooth explained in more detail, face pinched and creased over with what looked to be ears upon years of pain. "Twelve hours to ready ourselves before he unleashes as many Nightmare as he has on the entire planet. He promises that when our time is up…we won't have to worry about any kids anymore."

"…He's going to ruin everything." Jack whispered hoarsely.

"He'll try." Tooth corrected, though there was no triumph or excitement in her voice. And even as she spoke, her body was hunched forward with tiredness and exhaustion. There was no air of power or strength that she normally had, or any of the Guardians had. "But we have time to prepare. And that's exactly what we're going to do. But things are going to get dangerous around here…they already are." She added as an afterthought, looking around at the ruins of the dining hall. "We can't keep Jamie and Sophie here anymore. Not when we won't be able to protect them."

"We'll be able to protect them." Jack contradicted at once. "If you're going to protect the whole world soon, why can't you keep a couple of kids?"

At this, Tooth rose to her feet, albeit shakily. "Jack." She said firmly, pink eyes flashing dangerously all of a sudden. The boy quieted at her look and tone, settling back against the wood as he stared at her anxiously. "Don't be selfish." She said plainly, accusation bridging the edge of her tone almost as a warning. Jack stiffened at the hidden barb, but Tooth would have none of it. "You know as well as I do that they've been here a long time. And if it's a long time to _us_, then how long would it feel to kids that are somewhere they don't know, with enemies barging in, a brother asleep for days, and no parents at all to comfort them?" No reply. "They've gone far too long without their family, Jack." She said, quieter now as she sobered.

"We're their family." Jack tried uselessly.

"Really?" Tooth asked scathingly, shaking her head. "You might think so Jack, but what about what _they_ think? They're just little kids, and with the way things are going right now, they need to go home as soon as possible. Now that Pitch can get through to here, this place is no safer than any other. And we don't know how these next twelve hours will go. They might need all the time they can get back at home." She had grown quieter and quieter in her speech, and at the very end, she closed up like a clam. Her eyes were raw with pain, as if speaking about what could possibly happen had taxed her to the extreme.

Jack hesitated, having to organize his scrambled thoughts before speaking. And when he did manage find his voice, a thrill of anger and resentment choked his sore throat, making it all the harder to understand what he was saying. "You're making it sound like you stand no chance." He rasped, Tooth wilting even further at this. "Well, if you think like this, of course you'll have no chance!" He yelled, voice cracking and crumbling as it rose in volume. "You guys have done nothing all this time! Before Pitch figured out how to use my powers, before Pitch even got my powers! You could have done something to him a long time ago, but you all just sat here! And now, when Pitch is this powerful, you're deciding to try fighting back!" He paused, shoulders heaving up and down with sharp gasps of air. "Well, it's too late." He said simply. "He's gone too far."

"We never had time to do anything before." North growled, growing angry by Jack's constant arguing. "We had kids to look after, and then you had to cared for."

This only made Jack angrier, though. "Don't you dare put blame on-"

"Jack." Tooth snapped, shooing into the air with her strained wings as she effectively silenced him. "We're done. Fighting is the last thing that we need right now, and we all know it." She looked over at North, just as accusingly as she had Jack. "We have twelve hours left on the clock, North. We have to spend as much time as we can preparing and readying ourselves. Have the Yetis hitched up the sleigh, yet?"

"Just finished." North answered shortly, still looking miffed.

"What sleigh?" Jack demanded, hardly the one to let loose of a situation at hand.

"We need the sleigh to make the drop-off." Tooth said haltingly. "We're going to gather up Jamie and Sophie and take them back home as soon as possible. And then we can come back here and do whatever needs done before Pitch makes his final move. Now that he did all this," She glanced around at the wreckage that surrounded them, a frown creasing over her face as she did so. "we have no idea what he's planning on doing. Or what he's capable of. We need Jamie and Sophie out of the Workshop to make sure that they'll be safe."

"Do not lie to him, Tooth." North said reproachfully, the Fay turning back to look at the older man with a sharp warning glare. But North didn't stop in his tracks, only shaking his head at her. "Jack cares about the children's safety just as much as we do. If he does not find out what we're going to do now, he will later. And if you chose later, then the results will only be worse."

Tooth's shoulders drooped, though her gaze was still rather reproachful. "I was going to wait to find the right words." She sighed, as though she were running out of energy to get angry. After a moment's hesitation, she turned over to Jack, staring at him for what seemed like days. But then the words came forward, and each of them were like a slap to the face to the Ex-Guardian. "We're going to erase Jamie and Sophie's memories." She said quietly. "If everything pulls through in the end, and if we end up beating Pitch, there's no way that we could let either of them live with what they've been through."

"What!?" Jack shrieked. "You can't just-"

"We can't just _save _them?" Tooth asked scathingly. "Jack, whether you like to believe it or not, we're looking out for the children too. We have their best interest at heart, and we care for them just as much as you do. But the difference between you and us is that we don't let our feelings cloud our judgments. This whole time, you've been motivated by the pair of them. And granted, that's not so bad. But it gets bad if all you can think about is keeping them here with you. Everything you've done has been because of them. And…you've lost nearly everything." Tooth quieted for a moment at this, but shook herself, going on. "It's time to let us handle things."

"Don't take them away." Jack said, making it more of a demand than anything.

"You said that we haven't done anything." She pointed out harshly. "Well, this is us springing into action. If you don't like it, you can stay here, because we don't have time anymore for distractions or anything like that. If you wish to say goodbye to them, Bunny and Sandy already have them in the sleigh. Now they're just waiting for us. Are you coming, or not?"

Jack looked from North to Tooth, jaw set back firmly as he realized that this was all for nothing. No matter how much he kicked or screamed, they weren't going to stray from the path that they were already shooting down. Millions of phrases, millions of words flashed through his mind, accompanied with plans that he could take. He could follow Jamie and Sophie into Burgess, stay with them. He could hide them away and stow them back to the Workshop. He could do anything and everything, except every plan seemed more impossible than the last. There was nothing he could do.

Not right now anyway.

"You're making a big mistake." Jack hissed. "Those kids have helped save the world before, and they could do it again in a heartbeat. If you take away their memories and put them back home, that's just getting rid of our assets. You're throwing away the two things that could actually help us beat Pitch, how stupid is that?"

"Are you coming. Or not?" Tooth repeated, putting separate emphasis on each word.

Jack was about to refuse; why should he go with them if all they were doing was messing things up? But then he thought of Jamie and Sophie. Jamie had stood up for him against Pitch, who had nearly killed him. He must have been so scared, but he managed to get up and try to help Jack. Before, Jack had thought that Jamie didn't like him as much as he had before. The boy had been quiet towards him ever since he woke up his nightmares, no doubt a reason that Pitch had created for him while he was sleeping. Becoming intrusive, Jamie had appeared to be frightened of Jack as well as Pitch. But he just proved the teen wrong when he offered himself up to the Shadow.

Jack owed Jamie a lot, and not just because he distracted Pitch. Jamie was the first ever kid to truly believe in him, and he gave Jack a whole other world to reside in. He played with Jack nearly every night; they skated together, they talked together, and they walked to and from school together. Sophie was as close to Jack as her brother was too, and throughout this whole ordeal, her trust and love for the Ex-Guardian never seemed to waver all that much. Even if it had been hard, the two of them had stayed by Jack's side through this whole thing.

He would be disgusted with himself if he didn't say goodbye.

And he would feel the same if he let their memories get wiped without even trying to halt it.

"Yeah, I'll come." He said off-handedly. Tooth blinked, reaching out and making a move to offer some help up to his feet. But Jack ignored her rudely, planting his hands down on the wood of the table and pushing himself off. His legs shook as he got to his feet, and his knees threatened to buckle out from underneath him. But he righted himself with a fixed look of determination, not about to let himself look inadequate. Or at least, any more inadequate than he already was.

"Jack." North said suddenly. "Maybe you should stay here. You're not well enough for-"

"I can manage." Jack snarled, trying to stifle his limp as he made for the exit of the dining hall as quickly as he could. Tooth and North made no move to follow him though, staying put as they watched him with creased looks. "I'm not that worthless."

"But you're sick." North corrected.

He snapped. Whirling around in the doorway, Jack threw the pair of them a look of undisguised fury. "Yeah, maybe I am!" He yelled, balling his hands into tight fists. But his injured hand only screeched in protest, the boy wincing as he grabbed it tightly with his good one. Cradling it against his chest, Jack tried to make up for the slip-up by acting as if it hadn't affected him. Maybe he could wrap it up before he left if he had time. Because after they dropped off Jamie and Sophie, Jack knew for a fact that he'd have no free time to do anything of the sort. He wasn't about to let Pitch get his way in separating him from Jamie and Sophie, that was for sure. And he knew exactly how to do it.

"I am sick." He spat. "I'm sick of you guys."

North didn't move a muscle, and yet Jack could see the disappointment and sadness flicker across the man's face. Tooth stiffened at once though, a hand going up to rest against her collarbone as she took a small step backwards. Her eyes gleamed in the light, and Jack could almost swear that there were tears there. "Jack…you don't mean that." She tried.

"Don't I?" Jack challenged.

Turning around before either of them could reply, he marched away into the hall.

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A/N: My computer is lagging so much, this took forever to write. -face palm-

ANYWAY! Who do agree with more? Tooth or Jack?

Jack's got something in his head, but we all know what his ideas lead to. Maybe this one will turn out good though, you never know ;)

Anywho, please review and tell me what ya think! They have twelve hours left! More like eleven by now, though.


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